Video-Hearings in Europe Before, During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

While they were possible before in many countries, the COVID-19 crisis accelerated the use of remote- or video-hearings in courts in many European countries. It is unlikely that video-hearings will disappear with the end of the pandemic. Looking forward to the best possible use of remote hearings for the future, and to a new understanding how justice is done outside a physical courtroom, collecting and comparing the different legal frameworks and experiences in as many countries as possible can provide invaluable resources. This paper presents information on legal approaches and experiences provided by active and former members of the Council of Europe’s Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) from Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom who generously replied to a questionnaire sent out by the CCJE secretariat in December 2020 on my behalf. The paper addresses the legal framework, the technical side of video-hearings and different experiences and challenges.