The United Kingdom judicial system is about to undergo a radical reformation in order to coincide with the new digital era via the creation of an online court, which is to facilitate the access to justice and resolve claims up to 25,000 pounds.

The motion was submitted by the competent Civil Justice Council. In a transformative proposal for largely lawyer-free, virtual courtrooms, the civil justice council proposes an internet-based dispute resolution system to be available within two years.

According to the report, existing services, such as eBay’s disagreement negotiation procedure and Cybersettle’s (an online claim resolution website) operations, offer solutions worth studying.

The online dispute resolution model analyzed by the Civil Justice Council provides the realization of a three-stage process: a) a first evaluation through interactive services and information, b) following a negotiation with the intermediation of online ‘facilitators’ and c)ultimately, if an agreement has not been reached, a dispute resolution by a trained judge.

Only the judge must be legally qualified and, if necessary, there can be a telephone hearing in the final stage. The judge’s rulings are to be as enforceable as any other conventional court judgment.

Nonetheless, for the realization of this project, part of the 75 million pounds spent every year by the British Ministry of Justice to modernize technology of the courts are needed in order to start a pilot project later this year.

Source: Lawnet.gr