Judges and advocates from across SA have debated the pros and cons of court proceedings moving to virtual hearings during the Covid-19 lockdown, with some participants, mostly from the Eastern Cape, flagging the difficulties presented by unequal internet access and high data costs.

An hour-long, first-of-its-kind hybrid panel discussion on the issue, hosted by the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the University of Cape Town’s Democratic Governance and Rights Unit, took place on Wednesday evening...