A key ECBA contribution to the European debate on fair trial standards in the digital age: the ECBA Statement on Videoconferencing in Criminal Proceedings.
Adopted in 2020 during the Covid-19 crisis, the Statement set out a principled position balancing the opportunities for procedural efficiency with the real risks that videoconferencing poses to defence rights, confidentiality of lawyer-client communication, and the right to be present at trial.
The impact of this work has been significant:
- cited by Advocate-General Medina in her opinion in Case C-760/22 before the Court of Justice of the European Union
- referenced in exchanges with the European Commission and in the High-Level Forum on judicial cooperation
- used by practitioners across Europe to highlight persistent problems: outdated infrastructure, unclear legal frameworks, confidentiality concerns, and the misuse of trials in absentia
The Statement continues to serve as a reference point for ECBA advocacy on videoconferencing and defence rights.