Civil Justice Council calls for Online Dispute Resolution for low value claims

A report by the Civil Justice Council (‘CJC’), which oversees the modernisation of the civil justice system, has recommended that an Online Dispute Resolution service (‘ODR’) replace the present Court system for low value claims.  The CJC’s Online Dispute Advisory Group, established in April 2014, has proposed that the new service be known as 'Her Majesty’s Online Court' and involve judges hearing from parties and deciding disputes worth up to £25,000 using the Internet.  The proposed system is compared to the dispute resolution service used by eBay, which reportedly deals with some 60 million disagreements each year.  The Online Court would comprise three tiers.  Tier One would provide ‘online evaluation’, allowing users to classify their problem and informing them of the available remedies.  Tier Two would provide ‘online facilitation’ – combining automated negotiation with more traditional mediation, albeit delivered online, to try and encourage parties to settle. The final Tier would involve Judges reviewing and deciding cases.

Read the full report here: http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Online-Dispute-Resolution-Final-Web-Version1.pdf