News In Focus
15 March 2010
Blueprint for future of civil justice unveiled
Consumer Focus Scotland has published a new report providing a consumer blueprint for the future of the civil justice system in Scotland.
Making Civil Justice Work for Consumers sets out the consumer campaigning group’s policy position on civil justice and highlights the key areas of the system that are priorities for reform.
Consumer Focus Scotland says the system needs to be user-friendly, affordable and accessible to ensure that when required to, users are able to enforce their rights and settle their disputes.
It proposes a four-step approach to removing barriers to access to justice:
- A public legal education strategy
- Joined up and appropriate advice services
- An emphasis on informal means of resolving disputes
- More user-friendly formal dispute resolution processes
Head of policy and solicitor at Consumer Focus Scotland, Sarah O’Neill, said: “The Gill Review has already outlined a vision for making Scotland’s civil courts fit for the 21st century. This report, informed by years of research and policy development, sets out a four-step approach to reforming the wider civil justice system to ensure that it better meets consumers’ needs and delivers access to justice.
“The present system focuses too much on the needs of the professional users of the system, such as solicitors, advocates and judges, rather than those of the ultimate users, those who become involved in civil disputes.”