VIDEO LINK IN COURT: A witness may give their evidence via a video link to the court with a screen and a camera inside the courtroom.
The use of simple technology can establish a video link in a courtroom.
Video Conferencing in courtrooms gets used for civil hearings since the Access to Justice Act 1999. You need a basic screen and a camera with a microphone at each location.
BT uses an ISDN telephone line to transmit pictures and sound in the UK.
Dialling the telephone number allocated to the relevant location makes the connection. An electronic process then occurs between a remote location and the courtroom.
Use of Video Evidence in Court UK
- Case management conferences or ancillary relief hearings.
- Civil cases with remote or overseas witnesses.
Video Conferencing in Care Centres
Video Conference (VC) technology is now available in Care Centres.
Care Centres have jurisdiction to hear Public Law Children Act Cases. Video evidence addresses the problem of delays in child care and supervision cases.
The availability of expert witnesses got identified as one of the major causes of delay.
Video Conferencing equipment provides greater flexibility for using expert witnesses in the UK courts system.
VC at Care Centres in England and Wales
All Care Centres located across England and Wales are now equipped with mobile VC units. The Department for Constitutional Affairs is developing a national directory of suitable sites.
The plan is for the sites to include medical institutions, hospitals, and universities. They could then get used by expert witnesses for courtroom Video Conferencing.
The Hospital and Medical Care Association will also benefit from Video Conferencing in courtrooms. They can arrange hearing dates quicker and use less money to conclude cases. That ensures a reduction in the costs to the parties involved and the public purse.
It also means experts can spend less time travelling to and from court. That results in less time waiting for their case to get heard.