Tasmanian courts send text reminders to witnesses

Court defendants in Tasmania will soon be alerted to upcoming appearances via their mobile phones.Authorities in the state hope that sending text message reminders will lead to few cases being adjourned, thereby reducing the burden for magistrates, police and clerical staff.Lara Giddings, attorney general, said about one in five court adjournments are down to the defendant not turning up.She commented: "The old adage that justice delayed is justice denied reinforces the need for people on bail to adhere to court orders to attend on the day set down by a magistrate."Ms Giddings added that about eight in ten Australians aged over 14 own a mobile phone.Therefore, text message alerts can be an "unobtrusive" way of reminding people on bail of their commitments.According to the GSMA, more than four billion consumers across the world now use mobile devices.

http://bluespotmedia.ning.com/