The Courts Service has turned off a loop induction hearing support system at a courthouse in Cork after a solicitor was shocked to find that he could overhear a conversation between barristers from a floor directly underneath him.
A private conversation between barristers in the bar room of the Courts of Criminal Justice on Anglesea Street in Cork was overheard by another barrister wearing his own hearing aid. This caused concern that there was a listening device under a panel in the ceiling of the room.
However, the Courts Service has said that no such device exists. In a statement the Courts Service said it provides loop induction hearing systems to enable people using hearing aids to better hear proceedings and meetings.
“Part of this technology is the wearing of a device, provided by us, and usually worn with a neck lanyard. Recently in Anglesea Street a lawyer wearing one of these devices left the courtroom while still wearing this device and went to another area in the building.
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“The are two hearing systems in many courthouses. Firstly, there is the infrared system – this ensures that users can only hear proceedings within the confines of the courtroom.
“Users need to wear a special lanyard which the hearing aid connects to. The system works on a line of sight only – which ensures that it only works only in the direct area concerned (i.e. courtroom).
“The second system is a standard hearing loop system. The solicitor who had their hearing aid set to the hearing loop system in the courtroom left the courtroom where upon the infrared system stopped working (as designed) and his hearing aid instead picked up the “other” looped system on the floor directly beneath him. When we were informed of this, we turned off the system.”
The Courts Service has confirmed that the system will remain turned off in future unless its use is specifically requested.
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