Durban - E.tv says it may go to the Constitutional Court over a ruling on Tuesday that it may not televise the Schabir Shaik trial from the Durban High Court.

Earlier Judge Hillary Squires ruled that the presence of cameras would be "conspicuously intrusive" and would be a distracting factor even for people who were not giving evidence.

However, he said he had no objection to "at least parts of the proceedings" being televised where the difficulties he had described were no longer an obstacle.

This could include legal argument at the end of the case, or the judgment, and e.tv was free to approach him at a later stage.

E.tv lawyer Dan Rosengarten said the decision was obviously very disappointing.

He said he still needed to read the judgment before deciding whether or not to take the matter to the Constitutional Court.

He said it was a case where the judge had to weigh up the right to privacy and a fair trial, over the right to freedom of expression.

Both the State and Shaik had opposed the application.

Shaik faces two counts of corruption and one of fraud.

He is alleged to have made payments totalling R1.25 million for deputy president Jacob Zuma's benefit between 1996 and 2002, in return for Zuma using his political clout to further Shaik's complex business interests.

With acknowledgements to Elmarie Jack, Sapa and News24.