Will virtual court continue post covid19?

THE Caribbean Centre for Human Rights wants to know if virtual courts and video conferencing will continue post-covid19.

In a media release on Monday, the CCHR said it hoped that the recently introduced technological initiatives and new infrastructures, aimed at facilitating institutional transformation, are continued to improve the access to and quality of the implementation of justice, and the acknowledgment of human rights of those in prison.

The centre said in TT, the “historically poor functioning of the judicial system has resulted in an over-incarceration of offenders and overuse of remand for lengthy periods.”

It noted that the prison recidivism rate was up 51 per cent in 2018 which meant more persons were returning to jail and the monthly upkeep for an inmate at the Remand Yard stood at $15,736.

“This cost was further exacerbated by the physical transportation needed to carry these prisoners and remandees back and forth to the various courts. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi in announcing the establishment of 12 virtual courtrooms, said the State would be saving $80 million a year in prison transport.

The centre also pointed to the adjournment of some 591 of the 822 cases listed in the High Court during the 2018/2019 law term. “All of this contributed to remandees remaining for lengthy periods in prison.

These remandees still had their presumption of innocence and were patiently waiting for their day in court,” the CCHR said.

“During this uncertain time of covid19, the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights applauds the Government in eliminating the need for physical transportation of prisoners and remandees to the courts.

“Their depositions and other related matters will be conducted via video conferencing speeding up the court’s process whilst eliminating the costly need for transportation and simultaneously reducing the backlog within the judicial system. But there are still important questions to be considered,” the centre added. It suggested that the collaboration of the justice sectors was needed to reduce the pre-trial detention period of ten-plus years.