Why we are leaving comments off of Golders Green articles

Two were stabbed in a Golders Green anti-semitic attack on Wednesday (Image: Getty)

You may have noticed that we disabled comments on all articles related to the Golders Green stabbings. This decision has been taken for legal reasons. Under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, media organisations must follow strict rules when reporting on cases that are subject to ongoing criminal proceedings. These rules are in place to protect the integrity of the legal process and to ensure that every defendant receives a fair trial.

Public comments, even when well-intentioned, can in some circumstances influence jurors or prejudice proceedings. Allowing comments on such stories could therefore risk contempt of court. Both the police and legal experts have also urged the public to avoid speculation online while cases are active. Disabling comments is a precautionary step to ensure we fully comply with these legal obligations. If you notice that a post has limited your ability to comment, this will be the case for all users. We sometimes turn off comments a few hours after a post is published because we can't monitor them continuously.

Police are treating the attack as terrorism (Image: Getty)

The key provision journalists rely on is Section 2(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, which in substance says:

• A publication may be treated as contempt of court if it creates a "substantial risk that the course of justice in the proceedings in question will be seriously impeded or prejudiced".

This is the core legal test used to decide whether reporting - or user comments - could interfere with a fair trial.

For us, the rules apply as soon as proceedings are active - from arrest, charge, summons or warrant, and remain so until the case concludes, such as by verdict, acquittal, or discontinuance. In this case, a 45-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder after being shot with a stun gun to subdue him.

At times, even well-meaning comments can be in breach. Contempt of court can take many forms. For example, if a reader shares a comment with rumours about a suspect's alleged motives or claims about what "really" happened, jurors might become influenced, even if they are told to avoid the media. Another example of bias risk is when a juror reads a comment about an attacker's criminal past. The comments could also interfere with witnesses and may even lead to a mistrial meaning justice is not served.