Questions and concerns about remote hearings in family law courts

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 and social distancing restrictions coming into effect, the number of virtual hearings held in England and Wales has increased five-fold.

Family Law Professionals have given feedback to say that not all cases are suitable to be heard remotely and further work is required in this area.

This was in response to a rapid consultation, implemented by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, questioning fairness and suitability for remote hearings in the family justice system.

Incidents to have raised concern to lawyers include:

• Defendants using mobiles to access hearings
• An order to take a newborn baby into care made over the telephone
• A judge accidentally dialling a stranger into a call
• A victim being left on the same line alone with the perpetrator

You can read some of the questions raised as to access to justice, fairness and feedback in the articles below:

You can read the full report from the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, Remote hearings in the family justice system: a rapid consultation, by clicking here.

This BBC news story, dated 04/06/2020, ‘Remote hearings for family courts ‘horribly cruel’

An article in The Guardian, dated 02/06/2020, on how The head of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory on how parents and children are being failed during the Covid-19 pandemic