Defence solicitors taking part in pilots of ‘virtual courts’ could be at risk of injury from their clients, practitioners have warned.

The concern has arisen because the video equipment to be used in the pilot requires solicitors to sit alongside their client in a modified police interview room rather than separated by a dock.

Justice secretary Jack Straw announced last week that tests of a system to allow defendants to make their first court appearance by videolink from the police station will begin shortly. In a year-long pilot, Charing Cross police station in London will be linked with Camberwell Green magistrates’ court. A ­second pilot will run in north Kent from mid-June.

However, practitioners have raised questions about the risk posed to defence solicitors if defendants become violent. Andrew Caplen, chairman of the Law Society’s access to justice committee, said: ‘There is a dock in the real court for a reason. The issue of the welfare of defence solicitors within the virtual court process has clearly not received any form of sensible priority by the Ministry of Justice.’

Greg Stewart, defence representative at local implementation meetings, said practitioners may need to contact their insurers to see if they are covered for this activity. ‘Emotionally vulnerable clients can react badly to bad news,’ he said.

Ian Kelcey, chairman of the Law Society’s criminal law committee, said: ‘There seems to be a desire to implement a new process with a complete disregard for solicitor safety.’

The MoJ said that a trained designated detention officer will be present in the room and that defendants who present the highest risk of violence will be excluded from the virtual court process.