Lawyers welcome virtual hearings but urge safeguards

Attorneys have welcomed plans to introduce virtual hearings in the Magistrates’ Courts, saying the change could reduce delays and costs, but they urge retaining in-person access and safeguards for accused people.

On Sunday, Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice Michael Lashley announced that virtual hearings are to commence in two Magistrates’ Courts this month, in a bid to bring greater efficiency to the judicial system.

Agreeing that the system must be modernised, attorney-at-law Lesley Cargill-Straker warned, however, that convenience cannot replace the human interaction and safeguards essential to justice.