Remembrance Act Forward Project: “Expanding Access to Justice”

Honors students and 2024-2025 Remembrance Scholars Linda Baguma, Jenna Poma, Olivia Reid, Justine Smith, and Abigael Scott are sharing their Act Forward Project! Their project, a thought piece titled “Expanding Access to Justice: The Case for Remote Victims and Family Access to Criminal Trials”, is centered on the recent passage of Public Law 118-37. This law grants remote video and telephonic access to the upcoming trial of Abu Agila Mas’ud, the accused bomb maker in the 1988 Lockerbie Air Disaster. They use this law as a case study to explore broader questions of access to justice.

The paper examines arguments for expanding remote access to criminal proceedings, especially for victims and families who are unable to attend trials due to geographic or financial limitations. They argue that ensuring remote access is an important step toward a more inclusive and equitable justice system and offer actionable recommendations for reform. Please consider reading this impactful paper, which you can access through this link. Congratulations to Linda, Jenna, Olivia, Justine, and Abigael, the Honors program recognizes all your hard work and efforts!