Tiraspol, November 17. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The remote work format can also be applied to courts. Now the parliamentary Committee on Legislation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Defense, Security, Peacekeeping, Civil Rights and Freedoms is discussing this possibility.
In particular, it is proposed to hear criminal cases via videoconference. The Supreme Court of the PMR submitted the legislative initiative to the Supreme Council. According to the official representative, this will help to hear criminal cases more rapidly. The videoconference format will be used in exceptional cases. At a meeting of the relevant committee, it was noted that an online mode could reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus infection to people in custody.
The Deputies focused on ensuring the protection of defendants` rights and holding remote court sessions, subject to the consent of all participants in the trial.
“Within the framework of the second reading, it is necessary to discuss the issue of the source of funding for the implementation of the suggested changes, as well as the implementation of the right of convicts to defense, including the ability to communicate with a defense lawyer. To establish keeping of video recording of the process carried out in a remote format and storage of this video recording as a mandatory requirement. It is necessary to consider the possibility of giving the provision of the law a temporary character in order to study the law enforcement practice that will develop during this bill implementation,” the Head of the Legislation Committee Galina Antyufeeva said.
They also talked about the need to set out in the proposed rule of law that a video conference can be held for reasons of defendant`s health or because of the impossibility of bringing him to court, including due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation in the republic.
In general, the bill was recommended for adoption in the first reading. Work on the document will continue.
