Recording of Meetings Policy
This policy was adopted by this council in May 2018 and will be reviewed annually.
Reviewed and accepted 10 June 2019
To be reviewed May 2020
INTRODUCTION:
This policy is applicable to meetings of this Council, its committees and sub-committees.
This Council is committed to the principles of openness and transparency and encourages members of the public to attend all meetings of the Council, its committees and sub- committees and therefore embraces the rights extended to members of the public by the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014.
For this policy the term ‘record’ means any form of audio, visual or electronic recording.
RECORDING:
This council will display a statement at each of its meetings, or the Chairman of the meeting will read it aloud, which says “This council supports the rights of anyone to record this meeting but advises that anyone so recording cannot disrupt the meeting, by means of the recording, and expresses the hope that the person (or persons) carrying out the recording have obtained the necessary legal advice,, for themselves, to ensure they understand the rights of any members of the public who may be present who do not wish to be filmed or recorded”
The council will define an area from which recording may be carried out, and if given notice, will strive to ensure that reasonable facilities are made available to any person wishing to record, e.g. provision of a table. However, the Council should point out that the physical layout of any room may restrict the Council’s ability to make any provision.
All recording will be undertaken from a static point.
A person or persons recording a council meeting are reminded that the ‘Open Forum’ period is not part of the council meeting, and they should take legal advice for themselves as to their rights to make any recordings during that period. Additionally, legislation provides that where a member of the public indicates to the Chairman that he or she wishes to address the Council on a point under discussion, that person cannot speak unless Council resolves that the meeting is suspended. A person or persons making a recording should obtain their own legal advice in order that they understand their rights in law to record during this period of suspension. During the public participation part of the meeting, should a member of the public not wish to be recorded then the person making the recording, if they are still doing so, should refrain from doing so whilst the member of the public is speaking.
A person or persons making a recording by means of filming should consider the need for the use of additional lighting. The Council will have regard to the impact of such lighting on the ability of others present to view the meeting, or for reasons of health, and may require that such lighting is not used or is reduced to a level which does not adversely affect other people.
A person or persons making a recording has no right to interrupt a Council meeting by asking questions or making comments.
Where a Council proposes to record all its own meetings that will not prevent any other person or persons from also recording.
Where a Council proposes to record all its own meetings it will be bound by this Policy.
Where a Council proposes to record all its own meetings, it will resolve how long such recordings will be kept and how members of the public may obtain copies. The Council will include such recordings within the Scheme of Publication.
The Council expresses the hope that where a person or persons makes a recording of a Council meeting for reproduction elsewhere, that any reproduction of the recording is made without alteration.
Where the press and public are excluded from a meeting owing to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, recording of that part of the meeting will not be permitted.
This council is not liable or the actions of any person making a recording at a council meeting which identifies a member of the public or for any publication of that recording.
The minutes of a Council meeting remain the statutory and legally binding formal record of Council decisions.