Ontario's Attorney General wants to set up a committee so the justice system and the news media can understand each other a little better.

An excerpt from the Toronto Star article:

The six-member Panel on Justice and the Media includes former Toronto Star publisher John Honderich and Justice James MacPherson of the Ontario Court of Appeal, as well as representatives of the Crown, defence bar and police.

"I feel the public deserves to know everything about the justice system that we can possibly provide," Bryant told reporters at the University Ave. courthouse, after making the announcement at the annual ceremony to mark the opening of the province's courts.

While Canada has a long tradition of open courts, few members of the public ever attend trials and millions rely on the media to form opinions about how the legal system is working, he said. The media and justice system, however, have generally operated as "two solitudes" and "change is needed," Bryant said.

The justice system, inherited from the 18th century, operates in a 21st-century "media spotlight" for a cable news generation that expects "virtually instantaneous transmission of information about verdicts and court orders," he said.

Asked if he's advocating cameras in the courtroom or improved access to court exhibits, Bryant said he doesn't know what the committee will discuss.

But few reporters understand how a courtroom works and even fewer judges and lawyers understand the workings of a newsroom, Bryant said, adding a natural "tension" exists and he is hoping to "bridge the gap."