A BLOGGER has sent a legal letter to Barnet Council leader Lynne Hillan to challenge her decision not to allow members of the public to record tonight’s full council meeting.
Cllr Hillan told the Times Series bloggers and members of the public would not be allowed to film the budget meeting after calls from some anti-cuts demonstrators for people to do so.
She said only applications from “respectable” media outlets would be considered.
Yesterday Vicky Morris, a press officer for the Barnet Trade Unions Council, sent a letter through solicitors Bindmans to Cllr Hillan asking for her decision to be overturned.
In the letter the solicitors say they can find no legal basis for preventing the filming or tweeting, and say any attempts to stop the public from doing so could lead to judicial review.
Ms Morris argued councils had been instructed to allow 'citizen journalists' to record meetings by local government minister Bob Neil, and not allowing it was undemocratic.
Last night Barnet Eye blogger Roger Tichborne tried to film the business management meeting, but was told by chairman Councillor Hugh Rayner to stop as he had not passed a motion permitting it.
However, Cllr Hillan said the public will still not be allowed to film the meeting.
She added: “I think the world has moved on since we last debated this. Frankly we all expect to be able to find the whole world on YouTube now.
"My own view is that the public would be best served by us live streaming council over the web, but this is a matter for the whole of council to debate. I am happy to have that debate at full council in the near future.”
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