The pandemic forced millions of court proceeding to go virtual over the past two years, a necessity in order to keep the wheels of justice moving.
Now, a group of family lawyers in Ontario wants virtual hearings to be the norm.
[…]
But while some lawyers are championing remote court, others say we shouldn’t ignore the drawbacks.
Criminal defence lawyer Michael Spratt saidwhile there are merits to remote court appearances, some lower-income clients will be at a disadvantage if virtual becomes the default setting.
“Insisting on virtual proceedings in those cases could essentially [emphasize] the already gross disparity between the haves and the have nots in the justice system,” Spratt said.
“Balance is the exact word that we need to use.”
[…]
Read Kevin Gallagher and Alexandra Mae Jone’s full story: CTV News
