The non-stop media coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial may seem like a novelty in South Africa – but when it comes to treating celebrity court cases, the art of courtroom reporting is steeped in precedents – such as the case against OJ Simpson

An American ‘crime scene analyst’ tests the theory put forward by Oscar Pistorius’s defence team that ‘willow on meranti’ (a cricket bat hitting the bathroom door) could sound similar to a gunshot.

Samantha Taylor, Oscar Pistorius’s last girlfriend before Reeva Steenkamp, took the stand in court on Friday. She said the Paralympian carried a gun with him all the time and described an incident in which he recklessly shot his gun through the sunroof of a car.

After a groundbreaking judgment that allowed media to broadcast the Oscar Pistorius trial, we look at how well the media has shaped up in the first week of proceedings at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

On Thursday an emotional Pistorius held his head in his hands while radiologist Dr Johan Stipp described the traumatic events that took place during the early hours of 14 February 2013.

Witnesses told the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria on Wednesday how only a month before shooting Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius accidentally fired a gun at a busy Johannesburg restaurant.

We watch like bloodthirsty spectators as ordinary people who were at the wrong place at the right time are subjected to gruelling legal examination while social media partakes in a feeding frenzy.

It looks like South Africa is bound to get its next courtroom drama as soon as the Oscar Pistorius trial comes to a close. But is the case against Shrien Dewani ‘juicy’ enough?

Defence lawyer Barry Roux’s ruthless questioning style saw the first witness in the case tremble but surprisingly, remain steadfast in the version of her story of what she heard in the early hours of 14 February 2013.

As the world’s attention shifted from the Oscars in Hollywood to Oscar in court, we’ve compiled a list of the best moments at the onset of the trial

In the run up to the start of Oscar Pistorius’s trial on Monday, we look at the judge, prosecution and defence who will be starring in the courtroom.

In the case of Oscar Pistorius, it’s a legal first for South Africa to allow so much of a trial to be broadcast, but is this pandering to celebrity or upholding open justice?

A South African judge has approved media’s application to broadcast the trial of Oscar Pistorius – but with strict conditions, including no close ups or recording of private conversations.

As media focus begins to keenly shift towards the upcoming ‘trial of the century’, we take a look at Oscar Pistorius’s older brother Carl’s social media habits – a man who seems to be forever in search of inspiration

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and wished you could get a nice, generous serving of Oscar Pistorius news right then and there? Well, now you can…

In many ways, this was South Africa’s year: the Beloved Country reached the ‘end of the beginning’ of democracy when Madiba passed, and the world celebrated his life and legacy with us. But Mzansi also made headlines when Oscar shot Reeva, and our own national conversation continues to revolve around the urgent national challenges we face and the search for the next generation of leaders.

We ring in the festive season by looking back at some of the news stories that made us smile in 2013.

There are murderers we instinctively greet as monsters. Reading of their exploits and seeking the damaged remnant of human mercy in them both entertains us, and reassures us that, say, the Modimolle Monster is not fundamentally the same as we and our loved ones are. Murderers, or those accused of murder, are entirely more troubling when they are people we emulated.

Oscar Pistorius is well-known for transcending difficult circumstances. Here are some of the South African Paralympian’s more memorable quotations.

Oscar Pistorius appeared in court on Monday 19 August, Reeva Steenkamp’s birthday, where his trial date was set for March 2014 and he will face charges of premeditated murder and illegal possession of ammunition.

Oscar Pistorius was licensed to have one gun when he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp but had applied for licences for five more. Here are the guns he wished to own.

When South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius revealed that he was dating a model called Reeva Steenkamp, very little was known about her. That all changed after he shot and killed her in his Pretoria home on 14 February 2013.

Oscar Pistorius, who is currently awaiting trial for murder in South Africa, made his name as a sportsman par excellence and will go down in history for blurring the boundaries between disabled and able-bodied sport. Here’s our list of some of the top awards he has received in the past.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Why the sensationalisation of the media means they so often get it wrong

International Paralympic Committee president claims Oscar Pistorius has been replaced by new stars such as Alan Oliveira, Richard Browne and Jonnie Peacock.