Pilot scheme for court audio-visual links a success

A six-month pilot programme to test audio-visual links between Auckland District Court and Mt Eden Corrections Facility has been a success, Justice Minister Simon Power and Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.

The pilot, which ran from September last year to the end of February this year, was a joint project between the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Corrections. It followed the passing of the Courts (Remote Participation) Act, which enables greater use of audio-visual link technology to simplify and speed up the criminal justice system.

AVL is used mainly for procedural hearings, such as list appearances, call-overs, and bail hearings. It can be used for trials, but only with the consent of the defendant.

“The pilot resulted in 695 cases being heard via AVL – an average of six a day – a few of which I witnessed first hand,” Mr Power said.

"In the three months following the pilot there have been a further 362 cases heard via AVL.

“The review found that AVL appearances can be expedited more quickly than in-person appearances, saving an estimated 20 per cent in time between each AVL appearance.”

The pilot has also been well received by the judiciary, victims, and defendants.

“One victim noted how AVL made it easier to attend court without having to be seen by the defendant, saying they felt safe enough to look the defendant in the eye.

“89 per cent of defendants who appeared via AVL indicated it was effectively the same as appearing in person.

"AVL also has the potential to save legal aid travel costs if lawyers use the Instructions Suite to privately consult their clients rather than visiting prisons in person. In the pilot, 35 per cent of cases heard via AVL used the Instruction Suite before a court appearance."

Corrections Minister Judith Collins said its use has minimised safety and security risks associated with transporting prisoners to and from court.

“This has improved safety for judges, the public, court staff, prisoners, and custodial staff who may be at risk from violent prisoners. During the pilot, 24 per cent of the AVL appearances were for prisoners with escape alerts.

“The results of the pilot are being used to help in the roll-out of AVL to Hamilton and Manukau courts and the relevant Corrections facilities later this year.”

The Ministry of Justice anticipates that by 2014 some of New Zealand's biggest courts could each have up to 2,000 remand prisoner appearances by AVL a year.