Supreme Court to hold virtual hearings for the first time ever via Zoom

The Supreme Court of Canada will be holding virtual hearings for the first time in history over Zoom amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to close our building to physical visitors for everyone’s health and safety, it hasn’t stopped us from doing our work,” said Chief Justice Richard Wagner in a press release.

“We may not be able to welcome members of the public to our physical courtroom, but we are excited to invite everyone to our virtual courtroom for the first time.”

Several court and government gatherings are being held virtually due to the pandemic. For instance, the House of Commons held its first virtual meeting in April, also on Zoom.

It’s interesting to note that the Supreme Court and the House of Commons are both using Zoom, especially since the service has faced scrutiny for its flawed security and privacy practices.

However, representatives from the House of Commons previously noted that the government is not using the consumer version of the platform, and is implementing extra security measures. This is likely also the case for the Supreme Court.

Once the virtual House of Commons proceedings began, there were some technical difficulties and glitches. Since this is the first time the Supreme Court is holding virtual hearings, some hiccups along the way won’t be surprising.

Source: Supreme Court of Canada