The first Colombian hearing ever in the Metaverse was held last 15 February. Judge Maria Victoria Quiñonez authorized the hearing in Meta’s Horizon Workrooms after concluding that the Metaverse met data exchange channel and authenticity conditions established under Colombian constitutional and procedural law.
The judge described the legitimacy of the usage of Head-Montage-Display (HMD) under the Colombian judicial process. However, it was made clear this was not a requirement as any party could join the meeting using the web application as if it were a conference call.
Moreover, all participants had to provide, prior to the hearing, their personal information in order to receive a confirmation code before the hearing, thus guaranteeing the identity of the parties involved in the proceeding.
This hearing represents a milestone for the Colombian justice system and sets an example of how technology can be an effective tool in the legal sector. Judge Quiñonez concluded that this decision does not violate due process given current legislation seeks to encourage the use of digital tools by the judicial system.
Original source in Spanish.
