*/
Dispense with lawyers and deal with cases worth up to £25,000 using online courts and case officers, a senior judge has suggested in radical proposals to shake up the civil justice system.
In his interim Civil Courts Structure Review report, Lord Justice Briggs said there is a ‘clear and pressing need’ to create an online court for claims up to £25,000 to give litigants effective access to justice without the ‘disproportionate cost of using lawyers’. Cases will be dealt with in three stages, beginning with a largely automated, interactive online process to identify the issues and lodge documentary evidence, followed by conciliation and case management by case officers, before resolution by a judge.
Responding to the proposals Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, accepted that the ‘stranglehold’ of paper ‘needs to be broken’ and agreed that technology has the potential to help reduce the cost and complexity of the court system.
But Doerries warned that removing lawyers from civil proceedings below a certain monetary value might not achieve the desired objectives of the Government’s court reform programme, particularly coming on top of legal aid cuts and increased court fees.
Removing lawyers, she said, ‘effectively means leaving people to fend for themselves, which could result in a denial of justice’, adding that the Bar Council will be examining the proposals very carefully.
The proposals will be considered in a formal consultation, which closes at the end of May, before Briggs’ final review is completed at the beginning of the summer.
Dispense with lawyers and deal with cases worth up to £25,000 using online courts and case officers, a senior judge has suggested in radical proposals to shake up the civil justice system.
In his interim Civil Courts Structure Review report, Lord Justice Briggs said there is a ‘clear and pressing need’ to create an online court for claims up to £25,000 to give litigants effective access to justice without the ‘disproportionate cost of using lawyers’. Cases will be dealt with in three stages, beginning with a largely automated, interactive online process to identify the issues and lodge documentary evidence, followed by conciliation and case management by case officers, before resolution by a judge.
Responding to the proposals Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, accepted that the ‘stranglehold’ of paper ‘needs to be broken’ and agreed that technology has the potential to help reduce the cost and complexity of the court system.
But Doerries warned that removing lawyers from civil proceedings below a certain monetary value might not achieve the desired objectives of the Government’s court reform programme, particularly coming on top of legal aid cuts and increased court fees.
Removing lawyers, she said, ‘effectively means leaving people to fend for themselves, which could result in a denial of justice’, adding that the Bar Council will be examining the proposals very carefully.
The proposals will be considered in a formal consultation, which closes at the end of May, before Briggs’ final review is completed at the beginning of the summer.
The Chair of the Bar sets out how the new government can restore the justice system
In the first of a new series, Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth considers the fundamental need for financial protection
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Possibly, but many barristers are glad he did…
Mental health charity Mind BWW has received a £500 donation from drug, alcohol and DNA testing laboratory, AlphaBiolabs as part of its Giving Back campaign
The Institute of Neurotechnology & Law is thrilled to announce its inaugural essay competition
How to navigate open source evidence in an era of deepfakes. By Professor Yvonne McDermott Rees and Professor Alexa Koenig
Brie Stevens-Hoare KC and Lyndsey de Mestre KC take a look at the difficulties women encounter during the menopause, and offer some practical tips for individuals and chambers to make things easier
Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice since January 2021, is well known for his passion for access to justice and all things digital. Perhaps less widely known is the driven personality and wanderlust that lies behind this, as Anthony Inglese CB discovers
The Chair of the Bar sets out how the new government can restore the justice system
No-one should have to live in sub-standard accommodation, says Antony Hodari Solicitors. We are tackling the problem of bad housing with a two-pronged approach and act on behalf of tenants in both the civil and criminal courts
-(1)-(002).tmb-carlisting.png?sfvrsn=7615eba7_1){kind=logo}
