LCD plugs into electronic fraud hearing

PAPERLESS COURTROOM: judge, jury and counsel to evaluate hi-tech presentation of 11,000 pages of evidence

The Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) is keeping a close eye on one of the biggest VAT fraud cases ever to take place, after the judge ordered that the trial should be completely paperless.

The 'electronic trial', which is scheduled to begin in a specially-equipped Birmingham courtroom next week, is expected to run for four months and involves 11,000 pages of documents.

The hi-tech court enables lawyers to use e-presentation, so the jury can view documents by way of CD-roms displayed on screens in front of them.

Lawyers can also use PowerPoint software to present their arguments.

The use of LiveNote technology means that longhand evidence appears on the screens a split second after the stenographer types it out.

Each word is recorded and indexed so that jurors and lawyers can easily refer back to what was said, and transcripts can be e-mailed or printed out on request.

Justin Hugheston-Roberts, a partner at Wolverhampton firm Rose Williams & Partners and a solicitor- advocate for Central Solicitors Chambers, said the technology meant fewer problems with focusing on the evidence.

It also reduced disputes about what had been said during the case.

'It could reduce the trial time by weeks,' he added.

Barrister John Cooper - who has acted in some of the biggest fraud trials in the UK - acknowledged that he had been sceptical at first, but he was now convinced the technology made it easier to achieve justice.

'It effectively brings a jury far more quickly and efficiently up to speed with complex issues,' he said.

An LCD spokeswoman said the case had been transferred from Stafford Crown Court to take advantage of the courtroom at Birmingham.

'The Court Service project manager for the electronic presentation of evidence (EPE) pilots met with the judge, Judge McCreath, before the trial,' she added.

'The judge, along with the jury and counsel, will complete a questionnaire at the end of the trial to help in the evaluation of EPE and the technology for a report which will come out early next year.'

Paula Rohan