Colombia : Court holds first hearing in the metaverse

A Colombian court is holding a trial in Meta’s Horizon Worlds metaverse. It is now hoped to experience virtual reality again, authorities told Reuters.

The first hearing took place on February 15, and the participants were able to exchange with the help of virtual reality headsets for two hours. Participants in a traffic dispute appeared as avatars in a virtual courtroom. The avatar of the magistrate Maria Quinones Triana dressed in a black legal dress.

The case related to this trial concerns a dispute between a local transport union and the police. Several hearings are thus planned in Horizon Worlds, and potentially the verdict of the trial as well.

Magistrate Maria Quinones Triana commented on the event:

While this experiment has the merit of being original, it would not have gone over well with everyone. Although it is perfectly legal, Maria Quinones Triana notes that viewers would have been 70% to show their disapproval.

It was more real than a video call,” Quiones added to Reuters on Friday, describing the metaverse experience as “incredible.” On Zoom, she noted, “A lot of people turn off their cameras, you have no idea what they are doing.