This House of Lords Library briefing has been prepared in advance of second reading of the Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [HL].
Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages (163 KB , PDF)
The Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [HL] is a government bill that would establish an Online Procedure Rule Committee (OPRC) tasked with producing an online procedure rules framework for use in certain civil, tribunal and family proceedings. The framework would enable parties to specified kinds of proceedings to use the online procedure. The Government intends the OPRC to have expertise in the delivery of legal services through IT and for the rules to use a “mix of technology” to provide a quick and simple dispute resolution process. It explained:
The new rule committee will have expertise in the law and the provision of lay advice, IT and other relevant experience which will enable it to produce court rules to support the online procedure. The online procedure will be a new digital procedure governed by a new set of rules separate to current processes. It will use a mix of technology, conciliation and judicial resolution to provide a simple and quick dispute resolution process.
The Government expects the new rules to be “simple” and “intelligible to, and easily navigable by, all people who rely on our courts system”.
The bill is due to receive its second reading on 14 May 2019. It was introduced in the House of Lords on 1 May 2019 by the HM Advocate General for Scotland and Ministry of Justice spokesperson for the Lords, Lord Keen of Elie.
Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages (163 KB , PDF)
The European Convention on Human Rights was signed by the members of the Council of Europe, including the UK, in Rome in 1950. The UK was one of the first states to ratify it in 1951 and it is now incorporated into UK law through the Human Rights Act 1998. The UK government has recently restated its unequivocal commitment to the convention.
The crown court backlog reached a record high of 73,105 cases in September 2024. The impact on victims, witnesses and defendants has been significant as they wait longer for their cases to be resolved. The government commissioned an independent review of criminal courts that will produce reform recommendations to address crown court pressures. Whilst stakeholders have welcomed the review, some have called for more immediate action to reduce the backlog.
Iranian authorities have detained British and dual nationals on various charges in recent years, including espionage. The exact number of those detained is not published because some choose to avoid publicity. UN human rights experts have referred to “systemic arbitrary detention” in Iran. The Labour government plans to support British nationals detained overseas by creating a special envoy for complex detention cases and ensuring a legal right to consular assistance.
