Since 2006, ‘simple, speedy, summary’ justice has been the mantra of successive justice secretaries and at the heart of the government’s reforms to ‘rebalance the criminal justice system and increase public confidence’.

The latest method to achieve this is the virtual court, which enables a defendant to make their first court appearance via videolink from the police station custody suite. A pilot scheme began this week at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court, dealing with defendants at Charing Cross police station.

Jack Straw visited the court with solicitor general Vera Baird QC to see the technology in action, though not for a real case – just for a friendly chat with a couple of civil servants from the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

The first case heard using the videolink was a drink-driving offence. The defendant pleaded guilty and was banned from driving for 12 months and fined.

Straw told reporters that the system would improve efficiency, reduce paperwork, free up police time and save £10m a year. So, how does the scheme measure up against the MoJ’s mantra?

Simple? Well, if the Coroners and Justice Bill comes into force as drafted, defendants will have no choice but to appear via videolink and will lose their right to appear in court.

Speedy? The first case was resolved four hours after the defendant was charged in a hearing that lasted 20 minutes.

Summary? I looked this word up in the dictionary – it means ‘brief, dispensing with needless details or formalities’.

The virtual court ticks all three boxes, but is speedy high-tech justice necessarily better justice, and will it improve public confidence in the criminal justice system?

Or is it simply justice on the cheap?