On the problem of the possibility of using certain types of digital technologies in criminal court proceedings

The article analyzes the possibility of using online justice in the criminal process. The author draws attention to the fact that in a pandemic, the role of digital technologies is increasing to ensure the stable operation of the courts and the safety of the participants in the trial. The article expresses a critical attitude towards the automatic transfer of the successful experience of using online technologies by arbitration courts to the sphere of criminal proceedings. The use of video conferencing should not hinder the observance of guarantees of the rights and legitimate interests of an individual. Working in the web-conferencing mode creates difficulties in the implementation of certain principles of the criminal process: immediacy, transparency, adversarial nature of the parties, ensuring the defendant's right to defense. The author expresses doubts about the possibility of using the online format in a jury trial, as well as in relation to citizens who need the mandatory participation of a defense lawyer. The article concludes that it is permissible to use remote sensing technologies only in exceptional cases. In the context of the 2020-2021 pandemic, the author considers the use of individual protection measures by participants in criminal proceedings to be the optimal solution.