It was when the pandemic struck and made it more difficult to hold a trial with physically present people that the courts began to think in new directions.
In the past, it has been very restrictive to let people join in on the phone or video.
- Using a video link became a way to be able to carry out the trials.
And it is allowed, according to the law, only the district court and the judges must be physically present in the courtroom.
Everyone else can join the link, says Lars-Erik Bergström.
Arrest hearings are never carried out in the premises of the Falun District Court anymore.
If, for example, a suspect is in custody in Borlänge, he is no longer transported to Falun for negotiation, but can enter a special video room at the police station in Borlänge.
- Both the police and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service are very grateful because they avoid many transports.
It saves both time and money, says Lars-Erik Bergström, who believes that the new way of working has come to a halt.
- I have not heard a single complaint, he says.