The conversation - Courts are moving to video during coronavirus, but research shows it’s hard to get a fair trial remotely

David Tait and Meredith Rossner - ACT researchers - focus in this article published in The conversation - an online academic journal - on the challenges faced by virtual courts in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.


In a sense, the courts have been preparing for an outbreak like this for some time. Witnesses and defendants routinely appear in court via video link, as do judicial officers in Northern Territory and South Australia courts. Tribunals have been using video for even longer. Our research, however, suggests that attempts to translate courtroom interactions to a video-mediated process do not always work. Introducing monitors into the courtroom requires a reimagining of courtroom spaces, social cues, symbols and performances.

 

To read the full article 

This content has been updated on 23 June 2020 at 10 h 15 min.