The UK Supreme Court has ruled that journalists, members of the public and legal teams could make use of text-based communication services such as Twitter in the court.

However, the ruling does not apply to all courts in the UK. People have been allowed to tweet and use other forms of text-based communication only in the Supreme Court.

The ruling, which has set an example for the UK legal system, will allow journalists and others to make use of ‘live text-based communications’ to allow the external world know what is going on in the courtroom.

The court said that the use of Twitter-like services would allow users to share regular updates with people outside the court, which would boost public interest in the advancement of a case and keep the interest individuals better informed.

The Supreme Court’s President Lord Phillips said, “This means that we can offer a green light to tweeting and other forms of communication, as long as this does not disrupt the smooth running of the court.”

However, the Supreme Court prohibited the use of text-based communications in cases where formal reporting restrictions apply, and cases where publication of proceedings might affect an awaiting jury trial.