Legal Review: The New Court System in Light of the Pandemic

The recent pandemic has led to people completely uprooting their lives and changing them in a way that they could never imagine before.

The pandemic is no joke, considering how many lives have been affected and how the structure of so many professions has been altered in accordance with Covid-19. Covid-19 required people to stay at home and focus on the intricacies of their lives for a lengthy period. The court system is a part of this world and is not protected from alterations exceeding the pandemic. Various changes have come about within the judiciary system to bring it in line with the needs of the pandemic. Some people view it positively, as an opportunity to improve an already smooth system, while others do not and view it as a hindrance.

Because of the pandemic, whether we like it or not, a lot has gone digital, including the way that the court functions. According to the latest development, depositions and hearings are conducted online, and jury selection is only allowed in restricted areas. All of the court’s decisions are available online as well. So much so that even evidence is delivered through digital means instead of physical. According to attorney Matthew Dolan of Dolan Divorce Lawyers, PLLC, this system is slowly becoming the norm of the courts.

There are arguments to sustain that even though problems continue to come about within the legal system, perhaps an online situation wouldn’t be the worst thing for the judiciary system in the future.

For starters, according to Thomas Reuters, about 42% of respondents claimed that an online presence increased access to justice by quite a margin. Furthermore, the attendants are becoming more punctual and alert during the meetings and hearings. Plus, laypeople serving themselves in courts are receiving better service and advice because of the advice being present online. Even a divorce attorney is capable of serving their client better.

A system of this nature is highly capable of creating a world where not everyone has to be subject to an inefficient court system. The online presence ensures that the backlog of cases, which has been a long retained problem, gets resolved with the help of smoother services. Currently, the courts are dealing with a backlog of about 1200 cases. However, studies show that if the system were 10% more effective, these cases would reach a decision at a much higher rate. People wouldn’t have to worry about their files being left in the dust until their turn came years later.

In fact, a large percentage of the problem is believed to be that while physical presence during hearings is essential in some cases, maybe them being a requisite for all cases is backward thinking. In the future, most of the cases will likely be dealt with online. Hence, the judges who have suspended their courts completely might deal with an excessive backlog that will be difficult to set straight.

This new courts system may have been forced to take a good look into itself. The conclusion that we’ve reached is that we might not be entirely dependent on technology for improvement, but technology can indeed make an effective system for years to come.