Earlier this week a Guangzhou court conducted a criminal trial via video conference. An appeal to a robbery conviction was heard by the Guangdong High Court, the highest level judicial forum in the province. The judges and prosecutors were located in Guangzhou, while the appellant was held in Heyuan. Video conference trials present many advantages in certain situations. With video conferencing, the defendant does not need to be transferred to another province and temporarily incarcerated, thus substantially lowering costs and decreasing the time it takes to hear a case. Furthermore, the recent rise in physical confrontations between judges and the defendant is eliminated. Guangzhou has indicated a desire to use video conferencing for cases arising out of local courts. This provides another advantage, all parties are provided with highly experienced judges. “It will be interesting to see how the use of this technology develops,” said Edward E. Lehman, Managing Director of Lehman, Lee & Xu. “If Guangdong reports a significant efficiency increases and cost savings, other provinces may also begin incorporating technology into their courtrooms,” Lehman added.