Os tribunais comerciais
Os tribunais comerciais na Inglaterra e no País de Gales receberam reconhecimento global por sua resposta à crise covid-19. Houve uma série de legislação, instruções de prática e leis aprovadas com urgência para permitir o gerenciamento mais eficiente e eficaz da justiça enquanto trabalhava remotamente. Espera -se que o progresso feito no uso da tecnologia para impulsionar a eficiência seja adotado muito além do final da pandemia. Acertar pode significar um sistema que não apenas surge intacto dessa crise, mas é fundamentalmente mais eficiente, mais dinâmico e mais resiliente-um sistema mais inteligente para um futuro diferente, o que é uma boa notícia para todos que usam nossos tribunais. Em 6 de julho de 2020, a saber:
In a statement on 1 July 2020 the Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP said:
‘It is possible to make this recovery a renewal for justice in our country. Getting it right could mean a system that not only emerges intact from this crisis, but is fundamentally more efficient, more dynamic and more resilient – a smarter system for a different future, which is good news for all who use our courts.’
Key themes to improve efficiency and introduce more long-term technological solutions to administering justice were also discussed and promoted by senior members of the judiciary and other business leaders during the online Tech Nation debate on 6 July 2020, namely:
- A capacidade dos tribunais de retomar 85% a 90% dos negócios normais pelo uso de audiências remotas (tanto por telefone quanto por vídeo). Futuras audiências híbridas e/ou um sistema de tipo de triagem para audiências comerciais. O Lord Chancellor reconhece que podemos aproveitar as oportunidades apresentadas nos últimos meses e, com novos investimentos, construir um sistema mais eficaz e eficiente. em salas de fuga separadas para discussões confidenciais, permitindo que as partes se encaixem como faria no ambiente normal de cara a cara. As mediações em vídeo também economizam custos e tempo de viagem e, ao fazê -lo, promove os objetivos comerciais das partes. Haverá um investimento substancial para impulsionar as plataformas tecnológicas e prevê -se que haja um aumento no uso de audiências de vídeo. Pode ser apropriado em certas circunstâncias, particularmente quando uma parte se opõe a uma audiência remota, para que as partes se encontrem cara a cara. Isso pode ser particularmente relevante para os litigantes pessoalmente que preferem ter uma presença física no tribunal e ver as partes diante deles. Acreditamos que o Tribunal sempre fará essas subsídios, mas no futuro, podemos ver que, particularmente para aplicativos mais provisórios e questões processuais, haverá um foco em audiências remotas e/ou mais envios escritos enviados por e -mail.
- The effectiveness of on-line hearings – able to administer justice whilst saving time and cost.
- The desirability for a more flexible and technology based approach.
- The possibility of future hybrid hearings and/or a triage type system for commercial hearings.
The court is a service for the public (rather than a physical place) and the guidance that has been implemented on an emergency basis, with the right investment, could drive the future of the court system forward. The Lord Chancellor acknowledges that we can seize the opportunities presented in the last few months and, with new investment, build a more effective and efficient system.
The changes encompassed in commercial practice are not limited to the courtroom – there has been a significant increased use in video mediations for highly complex and technical commercial disputes.
The technology is now so advanced that the mediator can conduct a plenary session and put the parties into separate breakout rooms for confidential discussions, enabling the parties to liaise as they would in the normal face to face setting. Video mediations also save costs and travel time and, in so doing, furthers the parties’ commercial objectives.
These recent, significant steps have transformed the court system into a cutting edge, modern process demonstrating its resilience and ability to adapt, whilst furthering the overriding objective of the courts to deal with cases justly and at proportionate cost. There will be substantial investment to drive forward technological platforms and it is anticipated that there will be an increased use of video hearings.
That is not to say that physical hearings will go completely out of fashion. It may be appropriate in certain circumstances, particularly where one party objects to a remote hearing, for the parties to meet face to face. This may be particularly relevant to litigants in person who would prefer to have a physical presence in court and see the parties before them. The court, we believe, will always make those allowances but in the future, we may see that, particularly for more interim applications and procedural issues, there will be a focus on remote hearings and/or more written submissions submitted by email.
Na maioria dos assuntos comerciais, as audiências remotas geralmente administram a justiça com a mesma eficácia que pessoalmente, enquanto fornecem um fórum mais eficiente. Durante o debate da nação tecnológica, reconheceu -se que os maiores desafios para a modernização do sistema jurídico estão praticando profissionais com antipatia de mudança e construção de confiança no novo sistema para o público. No entanto, provou ser bem -sucedido nos últimos 6 meses em um momento de crise e incerteza. Portanto, esse novo sistema é capaz de continuar a crescer em uma primeira taxa, o principal fornecedor mundial de serviços jurídicos tecnológicos, operando remotamente enquanto defende o Estado de Direito e a Administração da Justiça. Os tribunais agora estão coletando dados para aprimorar a experiência dos usuários do tribunal. Um bom exemplo disso são as muitas dívidas deixadas sem purificação. Isso afeta não apenas o indivíduo e/ou negócios, mas também a economia em geral. No geral, Kennedys suporta totalmente um movimento em direção a uma maior eficiência que fornece uma experiência positiva do cliente, seja eles escolhidos pessoalmente ou remotos.
It is refreshing to see the judiciary’s recognition of the commerciality of utilising court services and the court’s constant strive to improve its services. The courts are now data collecting to enhance the court users experience.
Access to justice
A key aim of the move to accelerate the “ digitisation of our court system” is to improve access to justice.
Many individuals and business owners have credible and valid claims that they just don’t pursue, as they have insufficient funds available to do so. A good example of this is the many debts left unpursued. This impacts not only the individual and/or business, but also the wider economy.
Kennedys are already well advanced in their technological services (and Kennedys IQ have recently created a bespoke debt collection platform to help clients manage their debt) and our own commercial disputes team deals with complex debt recovery and enforcement. On the whole, Kennedys fully supports a move towards greater efficiency that provides a positive client experience, whether they choose an option that is in person or remote.
Os tribunais criminais
Access to justice is a key element that needs to be tackled, not just in our civil courts, but also in our criminal courts, and in particular to ensure compliance with Human Rights.
In August 2020, Judge Keith Raynor at Woolwich Crown Court refused to further extend the custody time limit for a teenager who had been held in prison waiting for his trial, saying the government had “failed to organise its legal system to allow the Courts to comply with Human Rights Law by ensuring that trials of defendants remanded in custody are dealt with in a reasonable time”.
Judge Raynor said “He is innocent until proven guilty – that is at the forefront of my mind”. Yet, more than 43,000 cases are awaiting trial in the Crown Court, an increase from 37,500 before the lockdown imposed by COVID-19.
Comment
The quicker that some of the lessons learnt in the civil courts can be translated to the criminal courts, the better – albeit accepting that this will be more difficult, given the need for jury trials.
Words by Kennedys Law
