Report comment

Will witnesses take the whole judicial process as seriously if they are giving evidence from home? How will cross-examination work? Witnesses and parties should not be intimidated by the process, but should respect it. Early on, as an Employment Tribunal judge I realised that some parties did not realise that we would give a binding, enforceable decision that would only be overturned if I had got the law wrong. Informality is not necessarily a good thing. I appreciate that this is a balancing exercise, but I believe it is a good thing that people involved in a case go to a court that looks like a court. There are other issues. How will a court know that someone giving evidence from home is not being pressurised by someone in the house or whatever. Appearing in court is not the same as shopping. Online is not necessarily better.