Attending by telephone or video link

General Information

The Court has facilities for people to attend Court by telephone or video link. You can use the facilities to:

• attend a court event
• give submissions
• give evidence
• call a witness to give evidence

This page also contains links to instructions about:

• How to apply to attend a court event by telephone (see “Instruction A”)
• How to apply to attend a court event by video link (see “Instruction B”)
• What you need to do to arrange a video link (see “Instruction C”)

Handy Tips

• The Court expects parties, lawyers and witnesses to attend Court in person wherever possible. There is no general right to attend a court event by telephone or video link, and permission must be sought.
• Attending by telephone is usually sufficient for procedural/directions hearings.
• The additional cost and complexity of arranging a video link is usually reserved for complex interim hearings and trials.
• You should discuss the need for a video link or telephone attendance with the judicial officer managing your case at the earliest opportunity. The Readiness Hearing is usually a good time to discuss telephone/video link requirements for trial.

Costs of attending by telephone or video link

Telephone: There are no fees payable for telephone links, except for overseas telephone links. You will be advised of the call cost for overseas phone links if this applies to your situation.

Video link: There are fees payable for arranging a video link. The Video Link Booking form (see below) sets out the applicable fees.

Information about fee reductions and exemptions is available on the Court’s website Fee Exemptions and Reductions page.

Privacy and confidentiality

Persons attending court events by telephone or video link are not permitted to record those events.

If you attend a conciliation conference, pre-trial conference, or judicial conference by telephone or video link:

• What is said in settlement negotiations is covered by privilege, meaning that what is said can only be used in Court later if the parties agree (or waive the privilege)
• No-one else, other than your legal representative, may be present during the telephone call or video link, without the approval of the judicial officer conducting the conference

Instruction Pages

Instruction A - Apply to attend a court event by telephone

Instruction B - Apply to attend a court event by video link

Instruction C - What you need to do to arrange a video link

 

List of forms/instruction guides for telephone and video links

• Request to Attend by Electronic Means (Word Document)
• Request to Attend by Electronic Means (PDF Document)
  
  
• Telephone Attendance Booking Form (Word Document)
• Telephone Attendance Booking Form (PDF Document)
  
  
• Video Link Booking Form (Word Document)
• Video Link Booking Form (PDF Document)
  
  
• Application in a Case - Form 2 (Word Document)
• Application in a Case - Form 2 (PDF Document)
• Affidavit Template (Word Document)
• Affidavit requesting to attend trial by electronic means
  
  
• Instruction Sheet - Using Microsoft Teams
• Instruction Sheet - Using Virtual Meeting Room (VMR)
• Instruction Sheet - Using Webex Teams

 

Last updated: 3-May-2022

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