Justice in the Digital Age: Evaluating the Impact and Integrity of Virtual Hearings in Makati City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11594/Keywords:
virtual hearings, digital justice, qualitative phenomenology, court technologyAbstract
During the height of COVID-19 pandemic, courts around the globe rely mostly on videoconferencing to sustain judicial processes and that their operations remain unhampered. In the Philippines, particularly in Makati City, the adoption of videoconferencing became part of the judicial system even after the pandemic. However, this opened questions about its integrity and effectiveness. With the use of qualitative phenomenological research design guided by Colizzi’s method, this study focuses on the evaluation and impact of videoconferencing specifically on safety and security measures, ability to present cases, procedural integrity, and technical challenges encountered by the selected participants. A total of ten (10) participants which include litigants, lawyers, prosecutors, court personnel, and law enforcement officers who are directly involved or had experience attending virtual hearing have been interviewed. The study collected data through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. With the direction of the Philippine government towards digitalization, local studies remain limited to quantitative evaluation of user satisfaction in the use of videoconferencing. Additionally, the findings from previous studies highlight the urgent need for robust digital infrastructure, enhanced training, and policy refinement to ensure fairness and protect legal rights in virtual courtrooms. This study, on the other hand, includes findings on the workarounds adapted by the stakeholders to balance and bridge the transition from traditional and virtual courtroom setup such as the use hybridized practices during presentation and marking of evidence, where physical records complement virtual hearings.
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Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study consist of interview transcripts containing confidential and personally identifiable information from court stakeholders. Due to ethical and legal restrictions imposed by the confidentiality requirements of the judiciary and the informed consent agreements with participants, the raw data cannot be publicly shared. De-identified excerpts relevant to the analysis may be made available from the author upon reasonable request and subject to approval by the appropriate judicial authorities.
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