COVID-19 and the family courts: key practitioner findings in children cases
The Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law
; 43(4):414-438, 2021.
Article
in English
| ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20241947
ABSTRACT
In March 2020, stringent social distancing measures were introduced across England and Wales to reduce the spread of Covid-19. These measures have presented significant challenges for the family justice system. This article sets out the findings of interviews conducted with professionals in the North East of England who have represented or otherwise supported litigants in private and public children proceedings since social distancing measures were introduced. The findings reveal that whilst practitioners are broadly positive about their experiences of shorter non-contested hearings, they nonetheless have concerns about the effectiveness of remote/hybrid hearings in ensuring a fair and just process in lengthy and complex cases. In particular, the findings indicate that the move to remote hearings has exacerbated pre-existing barriers to justice for unrepresented and vulnerable litigants. The aims of this article are not to ‘name and shame' any particular court but to highlight evidence of good practice in the North East of England and provide scope for improving practitioners' and litigants' experiences within current restrictions.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
ProQuest Central
Type of study:
Qualitative research
Language:
English
Journal:
The Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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