Remote Family Courts - New Guidance published from The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
Mr Justice MacDonald’s report on remote access family courts and ensuring a fair and just process.
Ensuring continuing access to justice and the rule of law during restrictions imposed during the covid-19 pandemic has been a concern in all aspects of law, including the family law courts.
However, the use of remote technology has made access to justice possible, and, reassuringly for all families in this situation, family law process can be uninterrupted.
In a report on Remote Family Courts, the President of the Family Division stated: ‘it should be possible to continue substantially the full operation of the family justice system, albeit on a remote access basis, notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic.’
As well as using current technologies, the report also mentions HMCTS (Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service) is ‘accelerating development of a bespoke IT solution for holding fully video hearings designed with the particular features of court hearings rather than meetings in mind’.
You can access the full document from The Courts and Tribunals Judicary HERE.