Courtrooms ban smart glasses
Courtrooms in England and Wales have introduced a ban on smart glasses over fears of secret recording.
A spokesperson for His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) told The Guardian in an exclusive on Tuesday that Meta glasses would be confiscated from anyone entering court buildings.
The service has expressed concerns that the glasses might breach restrictions on taking images or video in proceedings. Unauthorised photography in court buildings carries the risk of prosecution for contempt of court.
HMCTS told The Guardian that users will be reunited with their Meta glasses when they leave the buildings.
The news follows a trial earlier this year, in which witness Laimonas Jakštys was found to have worn smart glasses during cross-examination. High Court Judge Raquel Agnello threw out his evidence as “unreliable and untruthful and accused him of “seeking to stick to a script”, after she found that his glasses were connected to his phone during the cross-examination.