Courts Are Moving to Video during Coronavirus, but Research Shows It’s Hard to Get a Fair Trial Remotely
David TAIT, Meredith ROSSNER, «Courts Are Moving to Video during Coronavirus, but Research Shows It’s Hard to Get a Fair Trial Remotely», The Conversation, (8 avril 2020).
In the past, the courts were ideal breeding grounds for spreading disease. In what became known as the “Black Assize”, a deadly fever that swept through prisons and courts in England in 1586, 11 of 12 jurors in one trial died. So did a number of judges and constables. In the current coronavirus pandemic, Australian courts are taking no chances, with NSW, Victoria and other states announcing there will be no new jury trials until further notice. But many courts are rapidly increasing the use of video for other essential hearings. States and territories are also developing new protocols for how to use video in their courtrooms.