Radical thinking needed to secure civil justice for all.
Our civil courts have come under increasing strain due to budget cuts and the rise of litigants in person. In April 2015, in ‘Delivering Justice in an Age of Austerity’, a Working Party of JUSTICE members recommended that radical reform was necessary to secure access to the civil courts. In July 2015 the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls asked Lord Justice Briggs to review the workings of the civil court system with a view to modernisation.
Today we welcome the Final Report on Civil Courts Structure Review (“the Briggs Report”) and we will continue to work on taking forward the task of civil justice reform.
JUSTICE shares the concern that our civil courts are no longer fit for purpose. Radical restructuring must put access to justice, the rule of law and the experience of the user at the heart of our civil justice system.
Andrea Coomber, Director of JUSTICE, said:
“We commend the judiciary’s commitment to innovation. The challenge now lies in effective implementation of Lord Justice Briggs’ recommendations. The Treasury’s allocation of funds for a wide-ranging programme of reform is encouraging.
Our civil justice system must be fit for purpose and open to all.”