In our latest article in SLAW, we take a closer look at the use of Virtual Reality as a visual in the courtroom.
“The benefits of visual design in the courtroom cannot be understated. Visual aids like timelines, illustrative comparisons, video evidence, and graphs can help judges and juries comprehend an argument, demonstrate how things work, or illustrate an important point. When done poorly, however, it can have the opposite effect, creating confusion and raising questions of counsel competence and good judgment. Virtual Reality (VR) is one visual aid that is fairly underused in the judicial system but has the potential to make a meaningful impact in the courtroom when done right” (Salata, SLAW, July 26, 2024)
The greater availability of VR has led to greater adoption in mainstream society, which is positive for the future adoption of VR in legal practice and the courtroom.
A few years ago, Resol-VR was retained to collaborate with forensic and accident investigators, legal professionals, and insurance specialists to develop a VR reenactment of a fatal traffic accident. In this article, we reviewed the VR model built by Dan Riley (JP Rossi) and their start-up (and spin-off from Spearhead), Resol-VR. We also looked at the positive outcome to that trial and the possible uses of VR in the Canadian courtroom.