Remote Participation in Criminal Proceedings
This project aims to answer questions about when and how remote participation is best used in criminal court proceedings, formulating an evidence-base from empirical research with court users and other stakeholders, and reviewing international experience.
About the project
This inter-disciplinary empirical project will examine the use of remote participation in Aotearoa New Zealand courts, in order to provide an evidence base about when and how remote participation should be utilised, including its impacts on timeliness and fair process in proceedings. It will focus initially on remote participation of defendants in criminal proceedings and seeks to fill gaps in current evidence regarding the identification of – and effects on – neurodivergent defendants, those with mental health needs, and defendants with intellectual disability. The project will also examine the effects of remote participation on victims; the experience of Māori and Pasifika defendants; and the impact on those in custody, including the ways in which the transition from the custodial setting to the courtroom setting can be achieved for those appearing by audio-visual link. It is anticipated that the project findings will allow government and the courts to make evidence-based decisions regarding the scope of remote participation, allowing for informed decision-making regarding which types of proceedings, rights protections, and procedures are necessary and desirable now and in the coming years.
Grant amount
$191,475 for work 2025-2026
About Te Herenga Waka Centre for Justice Innovation
With an emphasis on translation to operations and practice, the focus of the Te Herenga Waka Centre for Justice Innovation is on providing an evidence-base for informed debate. The Centre, based at the Faculty of Law, Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, is concerned with innovation in both specific justice reforms and broader innovation in thinking and practice. It seeks to unify expertise and experience relevant to the delivery of justice in Aotearoa New Zealand. The co-Directors of the Centre will lead the project, with the assistance of Faculty of Law and wider Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington colleagues.
Contact
Judge John Walker, Professor Yvette Tinsley and Everard Halbert, Co-Directors, Te Herenga Waka Centre for Justice Innovation
Yvette.Tinsley@vuw.ac.nz; CentreForJusticeInnovation@vuw.ac.nz; https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/law/centres/cjinz; https://nz.linkedin.com/company/cjinz