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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 new and creative solutions to ensure that the justice

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NEWS
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NLJ this week: No such thing as a ‘Welsh seat’
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
NLJ this week: Jury reform risks justice for efficiency’s sake
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
NLJ this week: Crypto fightback offers ‘new frontier for law’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
NLJ this week: Time to revive the duty to report crime?
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
NLJ this week: When are experts truly ‘necessary’?
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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