Civil court users have criticised the use of remote hearings as ‘fragmented’ and inconsistent, calling for improvements as the pandemic abates.
Writing for Gazette Online, Michael Javaherian, vice chair of the Civil Court Users Association (CCUA), notes that modes of delivering remote hearings differ widely. They can involve parties being required to phone the court or supply an email so they can be sent a link to join a remote platform such as Teams or Skype. Other methods include requiring parties to arrange phone conferences or video hearings to which parties must facilitate access via a link.
‘This fragmentation has presented difficulties, since it is sometimes unclear which of the methods shall be used,’ says Javaherian. ‘The problem is compounded by the fact that a number of notices of hearing published and distributed by courts have been ambiguous as to platform, raising confusion. At other times, notices of hearing have neglected to mention whether or not the hearing is even taking place remotely.’