The metaverse is testing the limits of what is legally possible
It’s no secret that over the last few years, many physical events have now digital iterations or have even been completely digitized into virtual reality.
Recently, in Colombia, a local judge decided to bring a court hearing into the metaverse as an experiment with the technology. It was a civil case involving a traffic incident, which will progress further “partially” in the metaverse.
While many believe that the metaverse will reshape our social lives, it begs the question if digital reality can best serve important societal moments such as court cases where an individual’s future may be at stake. Cointelegraph spoke with Carlo D’Angelo, a former law professor and crypto criminal defense lawyer, to better understand the possible role of the metaverse in the legal system.
The metaverse court case in Colombia was not so far off from what legal systems around the world needed to do during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was to go digital. D’Angelo said:
D’Angelo told Cointelegraph that while these Zoom sessions worked for moving dockets and court hearings, he said with the technology we’re currently working with it is not well suited for jury trials.
The main reason is all of the in-person “subtle visual cues,” biases and verbal and non-verbal cues that are not picked up remotely, especially behind a metaverse avatar.
D’Angelo said watching the Colombian court hearing made him wonder what physical cues were being missed out on, such as a raise of an eyebrow from the judge or fidgeting from the opposition.
He continued to say that it may be possible to overcome some of these issues in a civil trial, though virtual criminal trials will continue to raise additional concerns, as a person’s freedom is on the line.
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