‘Defendants should be allowed to opt for trial by judge rather than in front of a jury, a prominent human rights lawyer has proposed, as a means of partially restarting the criminal justice system.’
The Guardian, 26th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The prospect of jury trials restarting has come closer with news that the judiciary has set up a working party to consider how they can be brought back as soon as it is safe to do so. The news comes shortly after lord chancellor Robert Buckland said he wanted jury trials back up and running as quickly as possible.’
Law Society's Gazette, 24th April 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHCR) has called on the government to take action to reduce the risk of disabled people being wrongly convicted because of video hearings in criminal cases.’
Legal Futures, 24th April 2020
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘The Lord Chief Justice, the Master of the Rolls and President of the Family Division have written to Circuit and District Judges of the Civil and Family Courts to record their appreciation for the efforts being made across all parts of the judiciary to adapt to new styles of working during the pandemic. They observe that there has been a great deal that has been learned quickly about the practical benefits and limitations of conducting hearings remotely and extensive materials and support have been shared across the legal community to facilitate such hearings being undertaken.’
Spire Barristers, 20th April 2020
Source: spirebarristers.co.uk
‘Remote video trials could disadvantage people with learning disabilities, the equalities watchdog has warned, as courts switch to online hearings during the coronavirus crisis.’
The Guardian, 22nd April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘HM Courts & Tribunals Service says decisions on personal protective equipment are in line with official guidance following enquiries by the Gazette about what measures are being taken to protect staff at courts being kept open during the pandemic.’
Law Society's Gazette, 21st April 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Coronavirus has affected both the functioning of businesses and the Courts. In these unprecedented times, how are the Courts dealing with the hearings of winding up petitions?’
3 Hare Court, 14th April 2020
Source: www.3harecourt.com
‘In the final part of our three-part mini-series: Civil Procedure, Human Rights and the Coronavirus, we consider how litigators may use the civil procedure rules to drive litigation forward in the time of coronavirus.’
Blackstone Chambers, 14th April 2020
‘We have heard a lot about how the courts are responding to the coronavirus pandemic by conducting hearings online instead of in a physical court room. But while hearings by Skype and Zoom enable participants to maintain social distancing and avoid the risks of contagion, they may not work for everyone. Is there another way of delivering justice to the digitally excluded?’
Transparency Project, 19th April 2020
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
‘It is a brave new world. The lockdown brought about by the coronavirus crisis is forcing the hand of our infamously old-fashioned profession to adapt quickly or lose myriad court dates; leaving our clients without satisfactory and timely resolutions to their disputes.’
3PB, 19th April 2020
Source: www.3pb.co.uk
‘Necessity is the mother of invention. Never has the English proverb been proved so true as with the rapid deployment of video link technology in the court system following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and consequent reduction of in-person hearings. This post considers the developments applicable to extradition proceedings; the current arrangements for hearings, appeals and removal; and the potential impact of the pandemic on the bars to extradition and bail applications.’
6KBW College Hill, 7th April 2020
Source: blog.6kbw.com
‘The phrase “business as usual” has become cliché overnight. Hardwicke’s CDR team is attending hearings, drafting and advising and just as before. But, as regards litigation, the phrase is not wholly accurate. The courts are not operating as usual, solicitors and barristers are working remotely, and it’s not yet clear how the current crisis will impact the commercial litigation market. From that perspective the situation is very unusual.’
Hardwicke Chambers, 20th April 2020
Source: hardwicke.co.uk
‘On 6th April 2020 the TIPD came into force. It implements a number of changes and supplements to the Practice Direction – Insolvency Proceedings July 2018. The purpose is to avoid, where possible, parties attending court in person and the likely disruption in proceedings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.’
Park Square Barristers, 8th April 2020
Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk
‘The coronavirus (COVID-19) and the government “lockdown” has bought about interesting times and the Coronavirus Act 20201, in particular ss.53-57 (with Schedules 23-27).’
Thomas More Chambers, 15th April 2020
Source: www.thomasmore.co.uk
‘On 25 March 2020, the Coronavirus Act 2020 (‘the 2020 Act’) was given Royal Assent. Most of its provisions came into force immediately (s. 87). Almost all of them will expire within two years (s. 89). As an additional safeguard, Parliament is required to conduct a review of the legislation every six months (s. 98). The 2020 Act has, at least for the time being, radically changed the appearance of proceedings in the Crown Court: there will now be hearings where neither the parties nor the judge will actually be in court at all.’
6KBW College Hill, 2nd April 2020
Source: blog.6kbw.com
‘Campaign group Justice has run an experimental fully remote jury trial to test whether it could be a fair alternative to face-to-face hearings during the coronavirus lockdown.’
Law Society's Gazette, 20th April 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Courts must take care not to “overreact in unprecedented times”, a former director of public prosecutions has said, amid concerns that lengthy sentences being imposed during the coronavirus crisis could be excessive.’
The Guardian, 19th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘At the turn of the new year it would have been unthinkable to suggest that in just three months the majority of the courts in England and Wales would be closed, that is, at least in the physical sense. In the wake of Covid-19 the Courts have remained open for business however, most of that business is now being conducted in the virtual realm. From online mediations and applications to full-blown witness actions, this is a brave new world for most practitioners, particularly those in civil law, who are used to lugging paper-laden suitcases up and down the various Courts in the land.’
Falcon Chambers, 6th April 2020
Source: www.falcon-chambers.com
‘While in previous weeks the winding up petition list has been adjourned for a minimum of three months, this week’s list was successfully conducted by Skype. This article discusses how the hearings worked.’
Hardwicke Chambers, 2nd April 2020
Source: hardwicke.co.uk
‘In light of the COVID-19 outbreak and the protective measures which the UK government has introduced, litigators across the country are asking one burning question: will hearings go ahead, and if so how?’
Blackstone Chambers, 18th March 2020
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