All posts by Roger Smith

Access to Justice in Family Matters: seven ways that technology might help

digital information

Family law is specific to each jurisdiction but there are common elements. In most countries, divorce operates under the supervision of the courts and, thus, amounts to the largest single source of civil court claims after debt. Canada deals with around 70,000 divorces a year. England and Wales has over 106,000; Australia around 48,000 and … Continue reading Access to Justice in Family Matters: seven ways that technology might help →

Court Modernisation: Court Service spins response to Audit Office report

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After months of debate on the court modernisation programme led by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), we now have an authoritative  analysis from the National Audit Office (NAO). HMCTS chief executive, Susan Acland-Hood, professed herself happy. The report is ‘helpful and constructive’. She was pleased that ‘the NAO acknowledges our “early progress”. Her comments … Continue reading Court Modernisation: Court Service spins response to Audit Office report →

Access to Justice and Technology: Innovation in Reporting

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Assistance and encouragement to report issues provides an interesting field of innovation in access to justice and technology. The issues can cover virtually anything. Just by way of example of the possibilities, no less than three of the list of seven African semi-finalists in the HiiL Justice Accelerator 2017 Challenge related to reporting, all from … Continue reading Access to Justice and Technology: Innovation in Reporting →

Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) and Access to Justice

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Online Dispute Resolution may take two forms in relation to court processes relevant to those on low incomes. On the one hand, it can be integrated within the adjudicatory processes of a court or tribunal. That is the model of our own proposed Online Small Claims Court and British Columbia’s Civil Resolution Tribunal.  Alternatively, ODR … Continue reading Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) and Access to Justice →