Her Majesty's Online Court
In the news today is the publication of the ground breaking Report by the 15 strong ODR Advisory Group to the Civil Justice Council (of which I am a member ) for an Internet based court service with judges hearing cases online and with much more effort in helping people resolve disputes without requiring a judge.
We have set up a website that will grow over time. It contains the full Report as well as additional material and interviews with experts.
We suggest a 3 tier system that, in providing emphasis on helping the parties to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their case and so managing expectations , whilst at the same time providing various forms of assistance, both automated and human, in resolving without a judge, will both increase access to justice, whilst reducing the numbers of cases that need to be dealt with by a judge. Further, even for those cases requiring a judge, as most will be dealt with online, this increased access to justice will come at lower cost to the parties (reduced fees) and to the court service.
In summary, the proposed Her Majesty's Online Court turns the concept of a 'court' away from being a building with all the cost and inconvenience such involves, into a service.
