The Crown brought an application under s. 714.1 of the Criminal Code to allow two complainants to testify remotely from Sudbury.
The complainants cited childcare responsibilities, mental health issues, addiction recovery, and fear of the accused as reasons for their reluctance to testify in person.
The court balanced the rights of the vulnerable witnesses with the accused's right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.
Finding no prejudice to the accused in a judge-alone trial, the court granted the application, ordering the complainants to testify via video conference from the Sudbury courthouse.
