Video link court hearings risk unfair sentencing

♦“skype trials” risk unfairly punishing defendants, the National Audit Office has warned.

The regulator said that “virtual hearings”, which are increasingly common as part of plans to modernise the court system, could mean worse outcomes for those on trial.

Appearing via video link could “affect both how engaged defendants are and consequently how they are perceived by juries and sentencers”, its report about the planned changes said.

Research from a 2010 pilot carried out by the Ministry of Justice found that defendants appearing in court on video links were more likely to receive custodial sentences than those attending in person. It also found that the £1.2billion overhaul was behind schedule and faced funding gaps.