Four Belgian courts are piloting a system which allows defendants and others to attend criminal cases virtually. The 'JustCourt' video system allows involved parties to log in to a court session via Microsoft Teams.
This was already possible for civil cases but extended to criminal cases in May, and the option is available to defendants, lawyers, experts, civil parties and witnesses. A request to attend virtually must be submitted at least five days before the trial.
"Although JustCourt is not intended to replace face-to-face meetings and trials, it does allow parties who find it difficult to appear in person to take part in certain proceedings," explains the Justice Ministry in a press release.
Recording a livestream is a sanctionable offense and all involved suspects must consent to any online presence. Lawyers are still required to wear appropriate robes when attending online.
Saving time and money
So far courts in Mechelen, Brussels and Marche-en-Famme in the Luxembourg province are testing out the system, which aims to save time and money by reducing travel time needed for cases (prisoner transports and waiting times for defendants and lawyers).
Crucially, it is hoped that JustCourt will ease pressure on the justice system, which is experiencing unprecedented backlogs and suffers from "untenable" structural issues. Judges have repeatedly warned that the situation could lead to court closures.
Palais de Justice. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The online option is not yet available for prison detainees, though virtual hearings should become possible in these instances "over time". The Justice Ministry highlights the safety advantages of reducing prison transfers. It highlighted an incident in France in May when one prisoner escaped while in transit, killing one police officer in doing so.
€3.1 million has been spent on the installation of 120 large screens and audio equipment to be used for virtual trials. JustCourt will soon be available across the country after this initial test phase.
