Civil Justice Council Rapid Consultation Response
This is YLAL’s response to the Civil Justice Council (‘CJC’) Rapid Consultation.
The CJC launched its consultation on 1 May 2020, against the backdrop of significant adaptations to the justice system and the format justice is delivered, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
YLAL opened a survey of its members to assist with this response on 2 May 2020. The survey closed on Friday 8 May 2020. We received 68 responses to the justice system part of our survey.
The CJC Rapid Consultation requested a response to the following questions:
- What is working well about the current arrangements?
- What is not working well about current arrangements?
- Which types of cases are most suited to which type of hearings and why?
- How does the experience of remote hearings vary depending on the platform that is used?
- What technology is needed to make remote hearings successful?
- What difference does party location make to the experience of the hearing?
- How do remote hearings impact on the ability of representatives to communicate with their clients?
- How do professional court users and litigants feel about remote hearings?
- How do litigants in person experience hearings that are conducted remotely?
- How do remote hearings impact on perceptions of the justice system by those who are users of it?
- How is practice varying across different geographical regions?
- What has been the impact of current arrangements on open justice?
- What other observations would you make about the impact of COVID-19 on the operation of the civil justice system?
YLAL’s response is attached below.
Many thanks to our YLAL member volunteers Emilie Ancelin and Hafsah Hussain who assisted with this consultation response.