Victorian tribunal to hold virtual hearings and mediations

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VVAT) will soon hear more of its 83,000 annual dispute cases online, after signing a deal with dispute resolution platform Immediation.

The virtual conferences will have the same features as a face-to-face mediation conference, including separate virtual rooms, allowing mediator and plaintiff to converse privately. Taggings will also be displayed on screen for easy identification of parties.

Up to 1000 matters are expected to be heard on the platform over the next three months.

VCAT CEO Mary Amiridis said she was delighted the technology would support the continuation of tribunal’s services during the pandemic.

“VCAT is pleased to work with Immediation and to implement the use of these new technologies to ensure Victorians continue to have access to justice during these challenging times,” she said.

The platform has been crafted by experts in the legal industry, and built by former Google engineers and leading UX designers.

Earlier this year Immediation also signed arrangements with the Federal Court of Australia, the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court.

Immediation founder and Managing Director Laura Keily said the pandemic has accelerated uptake of the technology as businesses, courts and government bodies look to keep cases moving forward.

“The current global climate has required industries that have traditionally been slow to adopt technology to reassess their ways of working,” said Keily.

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