Today the Lord Chancellor and senior judiciary launch a shared
vision for the future of the civil and family courts and
tribunals system.
People rely on our civil, family and tribunals justice system to
protect and enforce their rights. This applies to
individuals with complex needs grappling with debt and housing
issues, and to business owners who need to navigate complicated
contractual disputes.
We want to make it easier for people experiencing legal problems
to access high quality information and support at the right time
and in the right way. This will allow them to understand their
options and to take the right steps to prevent their problems
from escalating. We will use advances in technology to
support delivery of this, including exploring safe and
appropriate uses of AI.
We want to enable people to resolve their problems earlier and at
less cost, for example through mediation or online dispute
resolution. They should be safe in the knowledge that if this is
not successful, it will be straightforward to take the next step
of seeking judicial determination through the courts or
tribunals. We will encourage and build online and offline
connections between different parts of the system to achieve
solutions.
Providing a joined-up process will require the effective and safe
transfer of people’s data. We have established the Online
Procedure Rule Committee (OPRC) to provide governance and develop
data standards for the system. We will support the OPRC to embed
these standards with the third and private sector organisations
that deliver information, support and dispute resolution
services.
This is a broad and ambitious vision for the future of civil,
family and tribunals justice. And we will only deliver it
working together with stakeholders across the system. With
this collaboration, we will ensure that our justice system
supports people from the earliest point they begin to experience
a legal problem. It will provide people with the right
information and support to understand all their options. It will
empower them to resolve their problem in a way that meets their
needs and is proportionate to the matter in dispute. A judicial
determination provided through our courts and tribunals will
always available where necessary.
