Publication Details
Krawitz, M.,
&
Howard, J.
(2015).
Should Australian courts give more witnesses the right to Skype?.
Journal of Judicial Administration, 25, 44-63.
Abstract
Millions of people use Skype, a common form of social media that permits
people to talk to each other over the internet. Courts in Australia have
permitted witnesses in at least a few instances to testify by Skype to date. This
article examines whether Australian courts should permit witnesses to testify
by Skype more often. The article considers using videoconferencing, as
opposed to Skype, and security issues associated with Skype. It also
considers the impact that Skype may have upon considering witness credibility.
Ultimately, it argues that Australian judicial officers may want to consider
permitting witnesses to testify by Skype if testifying by videoconference is not
possible, on a case by case basis. The authors believe that this is the first
scholarly article in Australia to focus on the issue of witnesses testifying by
Skype.
Keywords
Australian courts, witnesses, Skype
Link to Publisher Version (URL)
http://sites.thomsonreuters.com.au/journals/files/2015/11/JJA-Vol-25-No-1-Contents.pdf
