Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department provides to courts on who should determine whether a case should initially be listed and dealt with remotely.

The decision whether a case should be heard remotely is at the discretion of a judge, who will decide if it is appropriate and in the interests of justice to do so, taking into account the needs of the parties involved. The allocation of court facilities will be provided accordingly.

HMCTS provide court staff with guidance to assist in the facilitation of remote hearings where a judge determines this method appropriate for a particular case. Public guidance on the use of remote hearings is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-expect-when-joining-a-telephone-or-video-hearing.

The Lord Chief Justice has recently issued guidance on remote attendance in the Crown Court which is available via the following link: Message from the Lord Chief Justice – Remote Attendance by Advocates in the Crown Court | Courts and Tribunals Judiciary.