Justice reimagined: challenges and opportunities with implementing virtual courts

Meredith Rossner*, David Tait, Martha McCurdy

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    49 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    While video technology has long been a feature of courtrooms, during the pandemic, courts underwent a seismic shift towards virtual hearings. Physical courtrooms shut their doors and hearings were moved to a virtual space. This transformation was fast, radical, and likely to permanently alter the landscape of justice. In this article, we review the strategies courts in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) adopted in response to the pandemic and discuss the implications for the practice of justice. We provide a close examination of the design, framing, and ritual elements of a virtual hearing that can reveal the challenges that participants face when interacting within a virtual court, and point us towards ways of reimagining a more respectful and inclusive practice.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)94-110
    Number of pages17
    JournalCurrent Issues in Criminal Justice
    Volume33
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2021

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