Following the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) unveiling its vision for the future of the civil and family courts and tribunals system, the Law Society of England and Wales have shared their comments, highlighting the need for a much more efficient system of collating, analysing and then publishing data.
The Law Society also highlighted the existing issues within our civil and family justice systems, such as backlogs and delays which have an impact on the public who are being “left in limbo”, but also the legal teams working on these matters.
Nick Emmerson, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, shared this full comment:
“Unmet legal need costs our economy and wider society millions of pounds each year, so we welcome the government’s aim to make it easier for people to resolve disputes and realise their rights.
Over the past year, the Law Society’s 21st Century Justice project has been consulting with solicitors, legal services consumers and organisations working across civil justice on how to achieve this, including using technology to support the delivery of information, advice and triage of those with legal problems and improving online court systems.
Our research with legal services consumers found that whilst digital solutions can play a significant role, the availability of community-based in-person advice was considered a critical element of the civil justice system.
In order to make the civil, family and tribunal system fit for the 21st Century, there must be a robust system of collecting, analysing and publishing data.
The civil and family justice systems are in crisis due to continued delays and backlogs in the courts. The ones who suffer the most are the public, who are left in legal limbo while they wait for their case to be heard.
Victims of domestic abuse seeking protection for themselves and their children and families facing homelessness are left to themselves.
We welcome any new thinking, but this must come with action and investment in the justice system.
We look forward to working with the Online Procedure Rule Committee to ensure that the benefits of digitalisation are realised without compromising access to justice.”
