Disclosing the recording would be detrimental to aviation safety, they maintained, because pilots may not speak freely to the control tower if their every word might later be reviewed in court.
That is not a very good point. ATC also record transmissions.
The CVR was installed and accepted by flight crew solely for accident investigation. If the courts wish to have access to them for litigation then I suggest we begin pulling the CB until they and their controlling legislature come to their senses.
Crossed with previous.