Remote court proceedings are here to stay! Based on the success of remotely-conducted proceedings since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Florida Supreme Court has amended Florida’s various procedural rules, effective Oct. 1, to provide “permanent and broader authorization for the remote conduct of certain court proceedings.” In re: Amendments to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, No. SC21-990, 2022 WL 2721129, at *1 (Fla. July 14, 2022). (Baker Act hearings are excluded from the general authorization.)

At the center of the Supreme Court’s amendments is the general authorization for court proceedings through “communication technology” set forth in substantially rewritten Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530 (renamed “communication technology”). Communication technology is defined as “audio communication technology or audio-video communication technology. The term “audio communication technology” refers to “electronic devices, systems, applications or platforms that permit all participants to hear and speak to all other participants in real time.” “Audio-video communication technology” encompasses “electronic devices, systems, applications, or platforms that permit all participants to hear, see, and speak to all other participants in real time.” These three terms and their definitions are incorporated in the Supreme Court’s various amendments.