A newly released survey of Scottish solicitors, by the Law Society of Scotland, has found that more than three-quarters of respondent think that aspects of remote civil court work should continue post-pandemic. The results found that the majority of civil court practitioners have indicated that they think remote hearings work well for procedural and uncontentious…
Auckland High Court consultation on reform of civil dispute resolution
The New Zealand Law Society has called on its members to respond to the Rules Committee’s ongoing consultation into reform in the civil dispute resolution system. The consultation is in response to new proposals put forward following concerns raised about an initial consultation paper in 2020. With concerned bodies including the Law Society. Responders shared…
Illinois Supreme Court announces new task force to review court fees
The Illinois Supreme Court and Chief Justice Anne M. Burke has announced the formation of a Supreme Court Statutory Court Fees Task Force. The task force has been established to conduct a thorough review of the new Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act (CTAA), an act designed to reduce the statutory fees imposed or assessed on…
Demand-Side Justice
Abstract The civil justice gap is well-known, well-documented, and widening. Although judges, practitioners, and scholars have attempted for more than fifty years to increase the supply of civil legal services available to those in need, demand continues to dramatically outstrip supply. This article argues that given the static (or worsening) state of the civil justice gap, and the…
California Closing the Justice Gap Working Group holds first public meeting
A California State Bar working group established to study access to justice innovations held its first public meeting on the 14th January 2021. The State Bar’s Closing the Justice Gap Working Group, created by the Board of Trustees to carry on with important recommendations from the State Bar’s Task Force on Access Through Innovation of…
New Zealand Law Commission seeking views on class action and litigation funding
The Law Commission of New Zealand is undertaking a first principles review of class actions and litigation funding. They are currently seeking feedback from interested parties, having released an issues paper in December 2020. The New Zealand Law Society is planning to respond to the call, and is asking for views on the issue. The…
Canadian Bar Association releases new resources to improve access to justice
The Canadian Bar Association has released a new guide aimed at addressing the country’s access to justice crisis. The guide has been developed by the CBS’s Access to Justice Subcommittee, based on past research, particularly the Reaching Equal Justice Report. The guide is divided into three different sections, with each section providing background to the…
A Critical Analysis of the Online Court
Abstract It is no secret that many judicial systems across the globe are stumbling beneath a heavy burden of thousands of suits filed every year in court. The need to optimize the judicial system of England and Wales led Lord Justice Briggs to write a comprehensive report about the subject, in which he suggests the…
Victorian Legal Services Board announced $1m to improve access to legal services
On the 22nd October Victorian Legal Services Board CEO and Commissioner Fiona McLeay announced seven grant recipients who would receive shares of a $1 million fund, aimed at helping ordinary and vulnerable Victorians to access simple and affordable legal support services. Projects include a scheme to provide women in regional Victoria with a pathway out…
Law Council of Australia publishes webinar on implementing the ALRC’s pathways to justice roadmap
The Law Council of Australia has published a recording of its latest online webinar, entitled “Closing the Justice Gap: Implementing the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Pathways to Justice Roadmap”. Over the course of the event, the panel discussed a number of issues around access to justice, and the justice gap, including discussion around access to…