Attorney General Joe Berinson today announced plans to amend the Justices Act to allow remand hearings to be conducted by videolink, removing the risk and high cost of transporting remand prisoners between prisons and courts.
Mr Berinson said prisoners held in prison while awaiting trial were entitled to be brought before a court every eight days for renewal of the remand order.
"This very old provision is designed to ensure prisoners are not `lost' in the system, but subject to regular judicial review," he said.
"While that right should remain, the proposed amendment will allow the process to be carried out more efficiently."
While an appearance every eight days used to be mandatory, Mr Berinson said prisoners could now opt for less frequent appearances, and most did.
"There are cases, however, where prisoners demand review by a court every eight days, and this can involve a major manpower and security exercise as remand prisoners are normally held in maximum security," he said.
"Where a high risk prisoner is involved, as many as 10 staff and two escort vehicles have been necessary to enable very brief and effectively automatic court proceedings."
This had been highlighted recently in the case of high risk prisoner David Everett.
Mr Berinson said current technology now made it possible for the costs and security risks associated with remand hearings to be avoided without any impairment to the prisoner's interests.
The proposed amendment would allow courts to conduct remand hearings by videolink, landline link or closed circuit television between the court and prison.
The prisoner would then not have to leave the prison grounds.
Mr Berinson said the court would be able to direct prison superintendents to produce prisoners at a place within the prison for the link-up.
He said the system would be phased in, with the initial provision of necessary equipment to the Canning Vale Remand Centre and Casuarina Prison.
He stressed that it would remain open to the courts to require the physical attendance of remand prisoners.
