From the outset of the pandemic, the CEELI Institute has supported judges who are struggling to continue court functions. From the start this involved exploration of the use of technologies that enable “remote” judging. Technology is a two-edged sword, enabling more efficient, timely, and accessible justice, but also risking interference with the fundamental legal rights and protections of the parties, including rights guaranteed under the European Convention of Human Rights.

To this end, CEELI brought together judges, scholars, and practitioners in the earliest days of the pandemic with several series of webinars. The first, entitled Videoconferencing in Support of Remote Access to Courts, ran during April and May 2020, and the second, Access to Justice During and After the Pandemic, took place during June and July 2020. Most recently, in October 2020, the Institute launched an intensive on-line series of seminars for judges from across the Central and East European region, on Best Practices for Remote Judging. The series emphasized compliance with the international standards and legal obligations necessary to ensure fair trials, including ECHR jurisprudence.

Each of these webinars touch on issues of critical importance to human rights, fair trials, and the rule of law that any deployment of IT has a clear legal basis, and inherent risks associated are evaluated for impact and revised accordingly.