The prospects and risks of the use of web - conferencing in criminal proceedings

The article substantiates the necessity of legislative regulation of the use of web-conferencing in criminal proceedings. The data of the survey of citizens confirming the need for the introduction of web conferencing in the sphere of criminal proceedings are given, a comparative characteristic of remote video technologies used in the activities of courts: videoconferencing and web conferencing is offered, advantages and disadvantages of web conferencing in connection with its application in the sphere of legal proceedings are outlined. The highlighted advantages of web conferencing allow the author to conclude that it is necessary to introduce such digital technology in the activities of law enforcement and judicial bodies involved in criminal proceedings. The author outlines the prospects and risks associated with the introduction of web conferencing in criminal proceedings, emphasising that the use of this technology is acceptable only in exceptional cases, when the face-to-face participation of a person in a court hearing is impossible due to compelling objective reasons.