Videoconferencing in court proceedings

By the use of video conferencing in court proceedings, persons in two or more different localities can see and hear each other in real time.

Videoconferencing may be used

• in Finnish trials for conferences between courts,
• in handling of matters concerning coercive measures, so that the defendant or the suspect for an offence does not need to be present in person in court and
• in cross-border trials in compliance with the provisions in international treaties.

In addition to the court, also a party or his/her counsel, a witness or the person who is to be heard in the case may propose the use of videoconferencing in the trial. The chairman in the case decides if videoconferencing may be used. Inquiries concerning the use of videoconferencing in court proceedings can be addressed to the court in question.

If the person who is to be heard in the case is located in another locality or abroad, videoconferencing may be the best solution for all parties. Videoconferencing may be used both in connection to the main hearing and the preparatory hearing.

All the district courts starting on 1 January 2010, administrative courts, courts of appeal and the Supreme Court as well as all the prisons have videoconferencing equipment with high definition technique. The assembly rooms in the district courts are equipped with two mobile cameras, microphones, a plasma screen and the required data communications equipment.

Witnesses can, for example, be heard in courts and prisons in connection to trials that are held in some other locality.

The use of videoconferencing aims to improve court services. By using videoconferencing evidence costs can be saved without compromising the legal safeguards. When the courts have more experiences from the use of this technique, videoconferencing equipment will be arranged to more courts within the frame of state appropriations.

Contact Information

Information Technology Centre of Judicial Administration
P.O. Box 620, 13111 HÄMEENLINNA
Tel. +358 29 56 64600
e-mail tietotekniikkakeskus(at)om.fi

Contact person at the Ministry of Justice:
Department of Judicial Administration
Senior Officer, Legal Affairs Mika Risla
firstname.lastname@om.fi

Updated on 30 January 2012