We have published a report which suggests the rights of child defendants to a fair trial are being compromised by the government’s drive to use video links in court hearings. It is believed to be cheaper to have an under-18-year-old defendant take part in a court hearing from prison than it is to transport them to court. The child may say they prefer it to travelling for hours in a prison van too. But the reality is that children accused of crimes already struggle to understand what is happening in court when they are there in person, not least because so many have communication difficulties. Video link makes this problem worse.