‘The first judgment has now been reported on the effect of COVID-19 on a forthcoming trial. In Re One Blackfriars Ltd, Hyde v. Nygate [2020] EWHC 845(Ch), John Kimbell QC, sitting as a Deputy High Court judge, refused to adjourn a trial due to start in June but ruled that it should proceed remotely by video-link.’
4 New Square, 14th April 2020
Source: www.4newsquare.com
‘All judges and leadership judges need to recognise that doing as much as possible remotely “does not mean, and cannot mean, trying to do everything remotely”, there senior members of the judiciary have warned.’
Local Government Lawyer, 15th April 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘It is a brave new world. The lockdown brought about by the coronavirus crisis is forcing the hand of our infamously old-fashioned profession to adapt quickly or lose myriad court dates; leaving our clients without satisfactory and timely resolutions to their disputes.’
3PB, 14th April 2020
Source: www.3pb.co.uk
‘Covid 19: the current situation is so fast moving that anything written will almost inevitably be out of date by the time it is typed. However, following the effective “lock down” from 8.30pm on 23 March 2020 it may be that there are fewer further changes until restrictions can be eased, and it is useful to reflect on the effect so far.’
6KBW College Hill, 30th March 2020
Source: blog.6kbw.com
‘A broad experience is building up among advocates with the use of remote hearings. Although many courts are still using telephone links (and for many litigants who do not have access to more sophisticated technology, this will remain the default medium) the use of video links is becoming more of a normal experience.’
St John's Chambers, 8th April 2020
Source: www.stjohnschambers.co.uk
‘Suspected offenders are set to avoid criminal charges under unprecedented new guidance to ease the burden on the justice system during the coronavirus outbreak.’
The Guardian, 14th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Courts and tribunals have made “remarkable” progress in dealing with remote hearings during the coronavirus crisis, but there are concerns about the behaviour of parties, the senior judiciary has said.’
Litigation Futures, 15th April 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘As one of the measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, courts in major parts of the world are delaying trials and temporarily closing doors. While the move is reasonable in the face of the pandemic, the process could leave some cases in limbo for weeks, if not months. In the criminal context, this could be a huge barrier to access to justice for victims and in securing the rights of the accused. The Chief Justices of various judicial systems have issued guidance to trial courts seeking emergency orders to adjust or suspend court operations in light of the pandemic. In addition to these measures, new AI-based systems may prove helpful during these times and should, where available, be used to secure access to justice.’
Oxford Human Rights Hub, 9th April 2020
Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk
‘There is no question that remote hearings are a good means of ensuring the continued delivery of the decision-making element of the family justice system. It is amazing that we can do it at all and it is great that we can. But doing so in this way is at the cost of our ability properly to connect to one another, and judges like me are compromised in their ability to conduct hearings with the empathy, fairness, understanding and compassion that is rightly valued as an essential element of the Family Court. I appreciate that in order to deliver justice in the time of Covid-19 we must accept compromise. I wanted to share my experiences however, as there have been times that the extent to which I have felt constrained has been uncomfortable, and I worry about the impact on the parties, and the wider goal of delivering justice fairly. Even though huge progress has and will continue to be made in improving remote hearings, we will be working under the effects of Covid-19 for many months yet to come. I am concerned about the responsibility that will continue to fall on judges for deciding what cases are to be heard or not, and for setting the terms of reference for what constitutes a fair hearing in the time of Covid-19.’
Transparency Project, 7th April 2020
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
‘Maintaining access to justice and enabling people to exercise their rights and have effective participation in the legal system has never been more important than now. The judiciary are quickly adapting their ways of working to deliver justice during the coronavirus pandemic.’
Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 3rd April 2020
Source: www.judiciary.uk
‘Covid 19: the current situation is so fast moving that anything written will almost inevitably be out of date by the time it is typed. However, following the effective “lock down” from 8.30pm on 23 March 2020 it may be that there are fewer further changes until restrictions can be eased, and it is useful to reflect on the effect so far.’
6KBW College Hill, 30th March 2020
Source: blog.6kbw.com
‘The Ministry of Justice, HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the judiciary have created a network of 157 priority courts and tribunal buildings that will remain open for essential face-to-face hearings during the coronavirus pandemic to make sure the justice system continues to operate effectively.’
Local Government Lawyer, 30th March 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘A project has gone live enabling the global justice community to share experiences of developing remote alternatives to physical court hearings in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, spearheaded by Professor Richard Susskind.’
Legal Futures, 30th March 2020
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘On Tuesday 17 March 2020, less than 24 hours after the Prime Minister’s announcement to the nation to avoid all non-essential contact due to COVID-19, I attended the first entirely remote hearing for the Court of Protection. I was there in a voluntary, non-official capacity to support someone I’ll call “Sarah”, whose father was at the centre of a serious medical treatment case.’
Transparency Project, 29th March 2020
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
‘Fewer than half of courts and tribunals will remain open for face-to-face hearings as part of efforts to maintain a “core justice system focused on the most essential cases”, the government has announced.’
Litigation Futures, 27th March 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘The High Court yesterday adjourned an upcoming trial, saying that the guidance on the coronavirus pandemic did not allow it to take place on the papers.’
Litigation Futures, 26th March 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
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