Glasgow’s new Remote Jury Centre opens next week

Edinburgh’s centre has been up and running since 29 September, able to accommodate five juries supporting High Courts in Lothian.

There are 11 jury rooms in the cinema-based centre in Glasgow, each able to comfortably accommodate 15 physically-distanced jurors, and offering state-of-the-art, secure technology to connect with the courtroom where cases are heard.

These centres are the first remote centres in the UK and an announcement last week set out that this model will be rolled out to allow sheriff and jury trials, suspended due to Covid-19, to recommence in November

Remote jury centres were instigated by the Restarting Solemn Trials Working Group, chaired by the Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian, and made up of representatives from across the justice sector. The group recommended to the Lord President, Lord Carloway, that remote jury centres outwith court buildings would allow High Court trials to operate at pre-Covid-19 business levels.

Cinemas were chosen because they can provide, in a single building, a number of spacious and soundproofed auditoria combined with state-of-the-art, secure technology. The courts have exclusive access to the jury centre Monday to Friday. Courtrooms have been fitted out with the cameras and technology necessary to broadcast the trials to the screens and to receive the video wall of jurors into the courtroom.

Balloting the jury will be done in the courtroom in advance without the jurors being present. Only the 15 jurors balloted, plus a small number of substitutes, will arrive at the jury centre for the trial. Each jury will be supported by a court officer, and each remote jury room will be supported by technical specialists to ensure continuity of proceedings.

While there was no mention of popcorn, jurors will be provided with packed sandwiches; individual bottles of water; and servings of tea or coffee each day.