This article examines the ritual dynamics of virtual court hearings. While audio-visual links for select court participants have been available for decades, in a virtual hearing all parties participate using a videoconferencing platform. Such hearings have proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as courts around the world have rushed to develop remote justice options. Scholars and legal professionals have expressed a range of concerns about this development, not least that there are elements of physical courtroom rituals that cannot be rendered virtually. Drawing on two recent empirical examinations of virtual courts, I explore what these hearings look and feel like for participants. I focus on the relationship between the material and symbolic elements of a court ritual and the meaning and experience of virtual co-presence. In some circumstances, traditional elements of court have been translated for a virtual space. In other ways, the ritual has been transformed. I conclude by discussing the limitations and potential of courts of the future.

中文翻译：

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虚拟法庭中的远程仪式

本文考察了虚拟法庭听证会的仪式动态。虽然面向特定法庭参与者的视听链接已经存在了几十年，但在虚拟听证会上，所有各方都使用视频会议平台参与。在 COVID-19 大流行期间，此类听证会激增，因为世界各地的法院都急于开发远程司法选项。学者和法律专业人士对这一发展表达了一系列担忧，尤其是有一些无法虚拟呈现的实体法庭仪式。利用最近对虚拟法庭的两次实证检验，我探讨了这些听证会对参与者的看法和感受。我专注于宫廷仪式的物质和象征元素与虚拟共存的意义和体验之间的关系。在某些情况下，传统的宫廷元素已被翻译成虚拟空间。在其他方面，仪式已经发生了变化。最后，我将讨论未来法院的局限性和潜力。