(Eastern Times; March 17, 2007)

by Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING: The High Court in Sarawak entered a new era yesterday when it became the first court in the country to use video conferencing to hear a case.

Judicial Commissioner David Wong Dah Wak of the High Court in Kuching conducted the live-run proceeding with the High Court in Miri involving a civil claim for the return of certain properties.

The hearing took about an hour.

The counsel for the defendant, James Lo, appeared in Kuching while Mekanda Singh Sandhu represented the plaintiff in Miri.

By not having to be present in court in Kuching, the plaintiff in the case is estimated to have saved about RM1,000 in the cost of air ticket to and from Miri, taxi fare to and from the airport, court fees and hotel charges.

Besides that, Mekanda was able to attend to his other legal matters in the Miri High Court after the civil case hearing.

The proceedings held at the High Court in Kuching and Miri yesterday was a follow-up to the recent launching of the tele/video conferencing by Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim.

It is also the crystallisation of a long held vision of Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum, to make justice more "user friendly" to the people.

The ruling on a court case can also be delivered using video conferencing and can involve lawyers from two courts which have installed the facility.

The Sarawak courts have in recent times been using tele-conferencing to conduct court proceedings.

The use of these facilities will enhance convenience to lawyers and make access to justice easier and cheaper.

The video conferencing facility was developed and is owned by Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS).