Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) Director Sanjoy Hazarika chaired a session at a training workshop for magistrates, jailors, police officers and prosecutors organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), on the directions of the Supreme Court, at the North East Police Academy at Umiam, Shillong, in Meghalaya.

In his speech on 'Benefits of using Video Conferencing in Criminal Justice System', the director highlighted the use of video conferencing in recording expert witness and shielding minors and victims of sexual assault from the accused.

He, however, also talked about the limitations of video conferencing, especially with respect to its use to remand undertrial prisoners.

The two-day training workshop that was held on November 7-8 was attended by magistrates, jailors, police officers and prosecutors from West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and North Eastern States.

CHRI’s Sugandha Shankar and Raja Bagga were also a part of the training. They took a session to emphasise the need to have safeguards while producing the accused through video conferencing. They also guided the participants in a simulation exercise where the working of the video conferencing facility was explained by participant’s role-playing as accused, magistrate, police, prosecution, defence counsel and witness.