Should Australian courts give more witnesses the right to Skype?

Millions of people use Skype, a common form of social media that permits people to talk
to each other over the internet. Courts in Australia have permitted witnesses in at least a
few instances to testify by Skype to date. This article examines whether Australian courts
should permit witnesses to testify by Skype more often. The article considers using
videoconferencing, as opposed to Skype, and security issues associated with Skype. It also
considers the impact that Skype may have upon considering witness credibility.
Ultimately, it argues that Australian judicial officers may want to consider permitting
witnesses to testify by Skype if testifying by videoconference is not possible, on a case by
case basis. The authors believe that this is the first scholarly article in Australia to focus on
the issue of witnesses testifying by Skype.