Victoria's courts have introduced a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the suspension of new jury trials in the County and Supreme Courts.

Newly charged people on summons or bail will not have their first Magistrates' Court appearance for at least 12 weeks, while contested committal hearings scheduled to begin in the next several weeks are adjourned.

Scroll down for the newest measures introduced in Victoria's courts

"It has to have an emotional and psychological impact," Bendigo lawyer Luke Docherty said of the delays and their effect on those involved.

Trials listed for the County Court circuit in regional areas did not have fixed dates, he said, and the changes would exacerbate that uncertainty.

Mr Docherty said the delays caused by coronavirus would lead to an "enormous backlog" in the courts at some stage.

Related: How coronavirus concerns are affecting a central Victorian winery

Potential delays were taken into account in bail applications, Mr Docherty said, but people who breached their bail and were subsequently remanded also faced longer periods in custody.

This week, Supreme Court judge Justice Lex Lasry said the expected delay was a significant factor in him granting bail to an accused person.

Mr Docherty said prisoners could also encounter harsher conditions in custody if coronavirus led to lockdowns of the facilities.

Chair of the Courts Council and Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Ferguson said on Friday the courts were "rapidly moving to a position where appearances will be managed through the electronic and digital environment".

Chief Justice Ferguson said pilots would start immediately to test the technology and work was underway to ensure all courts had these technological capabilities as soon as possible.

Contested committals listed to start in the Magistrates' Court in the week starting Monday, March 23 will be listed for mention on Monday and adjourned.

Contested committals scheduled for the following seven weeks will be subject to further communication.

The operation of circuits, or the regional courts, are under review.

In the criminal division a special directions list will begin on April 1 to manage the future listing of jury trials that had to be vacated.

The court will bring forward suitable indictable pleas, hearings and appeals against sentences from the Magistrates' Court.

Appeals against convictions imposed in the Magistrates' Court will be suspended.

The common law and commercial divisions will focus on hearing short, judge-only matters.

Other hearings and mediations will use video conferencing, and other suitable matters will be determined on papers.

All divisions will conduct hearings remotely or electronically where possible.

The court will introduce social distancing measures for matters heard in-person.

"The court is dealing with our most challenging crisis in recent memory by using technology to keep operations going, wherever possible, while protecting the health and safety of court users," Chief Judge Paul Kidd said.

Trials to mid-May 2020 will be adjourned until after October 2020 or reassessed closer to the trial date.

Pleas, applications, case conferences and preliminary hearings will continue and videolink will be used where required and available.

The Court of Appeal will not conduct in-person hearings, which will instead take place via videolink.

The Commercial Court will use written submissions, telephone calls and video conferencing, while trials will be conducted electronically.

Civil law division proceedings that would have gone before a jury will now proceed before a judge alone, unless adjourned, and trials will be conducted via telephone and video conferencing.

Mediations will take place by Skype, telephone and videoconferencing.

The use of technology and videolinks will be maximised, and urgent applications, such as bail applications, will be prioritised.

The Fast Track Remand Court, which case manages matters where children are on remand, will continue, while matters where children are charged on summons will be adjourned for 12 weeks.

Child protection practitioners will file all applications and materials electronically.

Family violence intervention order applications will be prioritised, as will child protection cases where a child is placed in out-of-home care.

We have removed our paywall from our stories about the coronavirus. This is a rapidly changing situation and we want to make sure our readers are as informed as possible. If you would like to support our journalists you can subscribe here.