COURTS SET TO GO VIRTUAL

Plans set to go before Parliament next week could see thousands of criminal suspects brought before ‘virtual courts’ instead of a courtroom, a move that could mean that suspects do not get a fair representation warns Andy Cash, a criminal defence expert from leading Midlands law firm Cartwright King.
If Parliament gives the go ahead, a pilot scheme would be run from 14 police stations across London from June, handling an estimated 15,000 cases over the course of a year and saving £2.2 million in police and court time, as well as transportation of prisoners. If this proves to be successful, it would be extended across England and Wales, saving an anticipated £10 million a year.
Although the pilot scheme will initially be voluntary, defendants are set to lose the right to choose whether they have a virtual hearing.
“I think that the introduction of virtual courts could create some serious issues,” said Andy. “It is de-humanising the criminal justice process and isolates defendants, restricting their right to a fair representation in front of a courtroom. Currently video links are used to deal with some interim hearings, but with restrictions in place. A prisoner is still entitled to a first hearing in a ‘live’ court before they are subject to a video link.