Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the ability for vulnerable (a) prisoners and (b) witnesses to take part in remote hearings effectively.

At the start of the pandemic HMCTS considered its public sector equality duty and completed an Equality Impact Assessment for remote participation in hearings. This material has been updated throughout design and implementation. Reasonable adjustment guidance and training has been developed for staff to assist users in effectively participating in remote hearings. Remote participation is subject to judicial discretion.