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04 June 2020 / Sadie Whittam
Issue: 7889 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Navigating the new normal

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Sadie Whittam discusses civil litigation in the age of pandemic & beyond
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a disruptor, forcing the courts in England and Wales to test the effectiveness of remote justice.
  • The move to wholly remote hearings is a challenge, but also an exciting opportunity.
  • If successful, remote justice may be the solution to improving access to justice in the post-pandemic world.

Pre COVID-19, HM Courts and Tribunals Service had started a £1bn reform of the court system. The reform programme, due to complete in December 2023, aimed to modernise the justice system, implementing technology and new ways of working, with the laudable aim of making the courts more efficient and more accessible to the public.

Fast forward to May 2020. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a disruptor in every sector, and the courts and tribunals system has been no exception. As courts close across the globe, governments and the legal sector have been forced to adapt, trialling

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NEWS
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A series of recent decisions has clarified important principles across property law, from perpetuities to lease renewals and public rights over land
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Employers cannot rely on wellbeing services alone to defend workplace stress claims after a High Court decision awarding almost £1m to an overworked employee
NLJ this week: Can Manchesterism revive access to justice?
Andy Burnham's brand of 'Manchesterism' could offer fresh thinking on legal aid and access to justice if it reaches Westminster, according to Roger Smith, NLJ columnist and former director of JUSTICE
NLJ this week: Constitutional conventions tested as power changes hands
The constitutional fallout from a change of prime minister, rather than the politics, is under scrutiny as questions arise over the limits of executive authority in a leadership transition
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The legal profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from selling services to creating technology-enabled products, according to Professor Luke Mason, Head of School of Law at Regent's University London
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