Testing the Case for a Virtual Courtroom with a Physical Jury Hub: Second Evaluation of a Virtual Trial Pilot Study Conducted by JUSTICE

Abstract

The question that JUSTICE have posed is whether, in this time of crisis, it is possible to hold ‘dispersed’ or virtual trials in which the principles of fairness, accuracy of evidence and certainty can be met. In order to test the case for virtual jury trials they organised four virtual trial experiments between April-June 2020. This report is the second in a series that provides a description and analysis of what has been learnt from these experiments. This report focuses on the final trial in which the jury were assembled together in a physical ‘jury hub’ and all other participants appeared from different locations. In this final experiment the defendant appeared by way of a video link from a court video hearing room in HMP Leeds. This report also draws on additional improvements to the process identified during the third trial where the jury remained dispersed.