Open justice ensures the accountability of the justice system. The advent of remote and hybrid hearings and of digital “courts” risks a fundamental tenet of open justice – that justice is seen to be done. When a defendant pleads online or a member of the public is forced to get permission to watch a criminal trial, then the hearing is not truly open. In this submission we discuss access to courts during the pandemic and outline the risks that remote justice proposals pose to the principle of open justice. We outline how these risks could be mitigated and open justice preserved while balancing the needs of vulnerable defendants and others involved in the criminal justice system.