Devices in the courtroom

Published date12 May 2021
Subject MatterLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration, Court Procedure
Law FirmCavell Leitch
AuthorMs Kirsten Graham

Our Cavell Leitch litigators are embracing technology in the Courtroom to lead change in the profession.

In this article Kirsten Graham gives an insight into device use in the modern Courtroom. You don't have to be a lawyer to use these tips - we challenge you to allow technology to empower your next public presentation!

Directions for electronic casebooks are now the norm in the High Court. Many of us have now grasped working remotely, AV appearances, & electronic discovery. Despite this there continues to be a reluctance in the profession, not only from the bar, to lessen reliance on paper and commit to use of electronic tools in Court.

This article contains tips to encourage lawyers to make small changes in their practice to be more comfortable using devices for their appearances. Other topics such as setting up effective electronic files, demystifying electronic casebooks, and how to run a fully interactive electronic trial with witnesses, are vast and exceed the limits of this article. The NZ Bar Association and NZCLE run excellent workshops & seminars in these areas. I thank Phillip Cornege and Josh McBride for their presentations on these topics which greatly assisted me in preparing for my first electronic hearings.

The benefits of going paper-less are extensive. Devices can offer huge efficiencies to advocates in enabling entire cases to be transported to and from the Courtroom without East-lights and boxes, and immediate access to all relevant information and caselaw in word searchable format (or OCR for those in the know).

If you are ready to consider a shift from using paper in Court, here are some basic tips to get underway:

  1. Get comfortable using a portable device - laptop, tablet whatever your OS. By now most of us are proficient in using a device in our home or office anyway. If you procure a new device test it out with plenty of time before the hearing.
  2. Keep your device desktop clear and tidy, like you would a hot desk. Mute all sounds, turn off notifications, and email pop-ups If you are clever you could set up a safe or blank profile which eliminates all such...

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