Samenvatting

During the COVID-19 lockdown courts tried urgent criminal cases by using videoconferencing technology. Communicating via a screen affects what one can see, hear or feel. This article presents the findings of three different studies on the experiences with videoconferencing during the lockdown. A survey among lawyers, a survey among detainees and a Twitter search all indicate that the defendant’s right to effective participation was undermined: connectivity problems harmed the right to attend court and confidential communication between the defendant and his lawyer was impossible.