Court has common-law power to let accused appear by video link
Regina v Ukpabio
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
“The court had no power outside the statutory provisions of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to direct that an accused could give evidence at his trial by live video link; however, in exceptional circumstances where it was appropriate for the defendant not to be present in court, it did have power to direct that he could participate in his trial by other means such as live video link.”
The Times, 6th September 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
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