header-logo header-logo

Court reform: proceed with caution

29 March 2018 / Andrew Walker KC
Issue: 7787 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Profession , Technology
printer mail-detail
andrew_walker_for_chairs_column_site

Andrew Walker QC reflects on the impact of a lack of consultation & the challenges of rushed court reforms

Those who suggest that the Bar is set against the court reform programme are wrong. There is much that we support, but not all.

When they speak of court reform, many think only of technology or investment in infrastructure, and that will be my focus here, but there are strands to the programme that have little, if anything, to do with these. The aim, for example, to broaden the range of judicial decisions that are made by non-judges (and even non-lawyers), under the ‘supervision’ of judges, is more concerned with greater centralisation of services and with savings in the judicial salaries budget. Whether or not this is truly a matter of ‘reform’, it is critical that judicial decisions should continue to be made by judges, independently from the executive branch of government.

So far as technology and infrastructure are concerned, a sum of around £1.1bn is being spent on this, across

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll