Sheena Cassidy Hope has written an article on the future of Family Courts for the latest edition of New Law Journal.
"Reform of the Family Court is not a new topic. The current HMCTS reform programme was launched in 2016, with a stated vision of modernising and upgrading the justice system so that it works better for all users. While the increased use of online applications, a move towards paperless courts and ‘fully’ video hearings were key aspects of the reform programme, few could have anticipated these becoming widespread practice within a matter of weeks (and in some instances, days). But with the lockdown imposed in March by the Government to suppress the spread of COVID-19 causing the courts, legal profession and litigants to unexpectedly partake in a sudden and unorthodox pilot, to what extent are the new ways of working here to stay? And is this an opportunity to look afresh at the way parties and professionals engage with the Family Court?"
Read the full article here.