The OPR will initially apply only to possession cases involving registered social landlords in England and community landlords in Wales, and will be piloted in Bradford, Caernarfon, Huddersfield and Wandsworth.
Possession cases are the first area to be governed by the OPR. However, the Civil Procedure Rules will continue to apply to possession appeals and enforcement proceedings for the time being.
Law Society president Mark Evans said: ‘It is only the beginning of the gradual rollout of digital justice that should make resolving disputes simpler and more accessible. Technology alone, however, is not a substitute for investment in the justice system. The success of digital justice will ultimately be judged not by the technology itself, but, at the end of the day, if it helps people resolve cases fairly, efficiently and without unnecessary delay.’
