By Police1 Staff
VICTORIA, Australia — It just got a little easier for police in Australia to deliver court papers.
A judge in Victoria, Canada has ruled that if attempts at delivering court orders — through mail, phone calls, or personal visits — do not work out, the documents can be sent via Facebook message.
The first social media court order was sent Wednesday to an alleged cyber bully. The “bully” had been accused of using the site to harass and threaten another user. Police transcribed the court documents and sent them right to his inbox.
“In this instance we were able to deliver justice through the same medium as the crime committed,” an Austrian officer told AFP. He said traditional means of enforcement are still preferred, but that there is always room for innovation if it will lead to something positive.
Australia has nearly 9 million Facebook users. The country’s population is about 22 million.
It’s yet to be seen if such methods will ever be used in the United States.