The proposed online court will ‘enhance’ the civil courts not create an online alternative to them, Sir Terence Etherton, Master of the Rolls has said.
Giving the Lord Slynn Memorial Lecture, Sir Terence reassured his audience that the recent failure of an online court in The Netherlands, the Rechtwijzer, on the grounds of financial sustainability does not cast doubt on the English and Welsh version. While the Rechtwijzer sat outside the court system, ‘our approach is to develop a court which incorporates online dispute resolution into its processes’, he said.
The proposed court, which does not yet have a name, will help claimants explore whether they have a viable claim. Case officers and court administrators will help parties manage their claim, and a judge will adjudicate via online or telephone communications.
