The Courts Service has announced that a hybrid system of in-person and virtual hearings are to be provided in future, as Covid restrictions are eased.
A survey carried out by the Courts Service showed a majority of court users is supportive of the continued use of virtual courtrooms.
New upgraded software is to be rolled out which will allow for witness testimony to be heard remotely, rather than through sworn statements.
The survey showed 92% of respondents agreed that procedural hearings such as case management, callovers and lists to fix dates are best suited to virtual hearings.
Almost 5,000 virtual hearings took place in the past year as pandemic restrictions limited the use of court rooms.
The rollout of new software to allow witnesses to be heard remotely will benefit in personal injury cases in particular, a Courts Service spokesperson said.
Courts Service CEO Angela Denning said: "There are areas of court work that are opening up more because of the lifting of government restrictions particularly around travel.
"This includes increased numbers of family law cases being listed, probate personal applications, and some witness cases in the High Court. Our priority continues to be keeping courts open and safe and as long as social distancing is in place, we will have to manage the numbers of people in our buildings."
She said the Courts Service needed to be able "to move seamlessly from one type of hearing to another in response to any change in Covid-19 restrictions".
Ms Denning said she would envisage a future of 'hybrid courts'. A mix of physical and digital courts. "Covid restrictions allowed the disruption courts needed to embrace change," she said.
High Court Judge Mr Justice Michael Hanna said he has found remote technology "to be a useful and effective medium for the conduct of many aspects of personal injury litigation".
He cited a case involving an elderly and infirm plaintiff on the east coast of Canada and a defendant in person who lived outside of Dublin, as having recently successfully used the virtual courtroom system.
