Watching justice from afar
Children’s experiences in remote criminal hearings
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24239183 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Oscar O’Mara (0000-0003-1293-273X), Nessa Lynch (0000-0003-4707-2514) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-10-20 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Oñati Socio-legal Series (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2079-5971 • E-ISSN: 2079-5971 |
| Publisher | Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law (PUBLISHER • ES) |
| DOI | 10.35295/osls.iisl.2684 |
| OpenAlex | W7223060932 |
| References cited | 22 |
Children in criminal justice systems are inherently vulnerable, yet digitalisation of court proceedings is accelerating without adequate consideration of their human rights. This research examines how remote hearings impacts children’s human rights in four European jurisdictions. Drawing upon interviews and surveys with children and justice professionals across Romania, Ireland, Spain, and Ukraine, we find that remote hearings systematically disadvantage children experiencing poverty, neurodivergence, language barriers, and other vulnerabilities. Children report feeling excluded, confused, and exposed during remote proceedings, comparing experiences to “watching a YouTube video” rather than participating in legal processes. The pervasive myth of “digital natives” obscures profound disparities in device ownership, connectivity, digital literacy, and safe access among children—disparities intensified along intersecting lines of race, socioeconomic status, and disability. Considering the broader moves towards digitalisation of justice systems, we contend that digitalisation without comprehensive equality impact assessments entrenches structural discrimination and produces injustice.
Children's rights · Digital divide · Digital Literacy · Disability · equality impact assessment · European jurisdiction · Intersectionality · language barriers · neurodivergence · Poverty · remote hearings · Socioeconomic status · structural discrimination · Children's Rights and Participation · Education, Law, and Society · Legal and Social Justice Studies
The Right to a Fair Online Hearing
The Impact of Remote Hearing Policies on Racial Equity in Criminal Case Outcomes During the Pandemic
Presence and participation in a virtual court
Exclusion in the interests of inclusion
Children’s Rights in Children’s Hearings
A Children’s Rights Perspective on the Participation of Juvenile Defendants in the Youth Court
Challenging Notions of Children’s “Participation” in the Youth Justice System
Zooming In” on Children’s Rights During a Pandemic
The rapid development of a virtual Children’s Hearings System in Scotland
| Highly cited | No |
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