Supreme Court launches YouTube channel

Not content with the live broadcasting of its hearings through the Sky News website, the Supreme Court is launching its own YouTube channel this week.

Video of the five-minute summaries delivered by the leading justice in each case when the court delivers judgment will be posted on the site by lunchtime the same day.

The first ruling to feature on YouTube will be the eagerly awaited Prudential judgment on Wednesday morning on the extent of legal professional privilege and whether it could protect advice from accountants.

Lord Neuberger, president of the Supreme Court, said demand for the existing web service had 'far outstripped' expectations.

'Around 20,000 people watch each month,' he said. 'Making our judgment summaries available as a video archive seemed the obvious next step.

'We hope this new service will open up another window on our work and the reasoning behind our decisions, and broaden our audience.'

A spokesman added that, due to the length of Supreme Court hearings, there were no plans to archive them and post them on YouTube in a similar way, though demand for the service would be carefully monitored.