JUSTICE JOURNEY – INFORMATION ABOUT GOING TO COURT
THE CCTV ROOM (sheet 4 of 9)
2012
What does a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) room look like?
(Original sheet has a picture of a CCTV room)
What is CCTV?
The CCTV room is separate from the courtroom but is linked to the courtroom using cameras and TV
screens.
Why give evidence using CCTV?
If you are using CCTV, you don’t have to go into the courtroom but you can be in a safe, remote location
while you give evidence. This location is confidential. You will not have to see the accused person.
In the CCTV room

In the CCTV room there will be a court or Sheriff’s Officer with you. You may also have a
support person with you.

You will be able to see, hear and speak to the Magistrate or Judge, the prosecutor and the
defence lawyer on the screen.

Only the Judge or Magistrate, prosecutor and defence lawyer can talk to you.

Everyone in the courtroom will be able to see and hear you.

You will not have to see or speak to the accused person.
Tips

When giving evidence speak clearly into the microphone.

Make sure you tell the Judge/Magistrate if:
-
you can’t hear what is being said
-
you can’t see the person who is talking to you
-
you can see the accused, as you should not be able to.
Who is who in the CCTV room?
Below are descriptions of all the people in the CCTV room.
Witness
The witness is a person who knows something about the case. The prosecutor and the defence ask the
witness questions about what they know. Witnesses are not allowed to talk about the case to other
witnesses.
Support Person
Witnesses can have a support person to sit with them in the CCTV room. The support person doesn’t
answer the questions being asked by the prosecutor or defence, and cannot help the witness with their
answers.
Sheriff’s Officer
The Sheriff’s Officer is responsible for security at the court. They will sit in the CCTV room with you to
operate the equipment and make sure it is working correctly.
Below are descriptions of all the people who you will be able to see on the CCTV screen.
Judge/Magistrate
In the Local Court and the Children’s Court, the judicial officer is called a Magistrate. The Magistrate
wears a black gown. In the District Court and Supreme Court, the judicial officer is called a Judge. The
Judge wears a wig and a gown. The Judge or Magistrate makes sure the hearing is run fairly.
Prosecutor
In the Local Court, the prosecutor is a specially trained police officer but does not wear a police uniform.
Sometimes, the prosecutor is a solicitor from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). In
the District and Supreme Court, the prosecutor is a solicitor or barrister from the ODPP. The prosecutor
may wear a wig and gown.
Defence Lawyer
The defence lawyer is the solicitor or barrister representing the accused person. There are sometimes
several defence lawyers representing the accused person. In the District and Supreme Courts the
Defence Barrister may wear a wig and gown.
For a full description of courtrooms, refer to the following information sheets: The courtroom: Local
Court and The Courtroom: District and Supreme Courts.