Conclusion 16

Representatives of the legal profession also raised concerns that both court closures and new online processes are leading to more people missing out on legal advice and making uninformed choices. Both the Bar Council and the Law Society provided anecdotal evidence that the closure of courts had led to local legal practices also closing.36 The Equality and Human Rights Commission was also concerned that a reliance on online courts may have an impact on access to or take-up of legal advice, potentially increasing the risk that people engage in the justice system without proper legal advice.37 The Law Society gave the example of the online small claims process, where plans to extend it above the current small claims limit could lead to people incurring significant costs at the press of a button, without fully understanding the consequences. Similarly, Transform Justice told us that the Single Justice Procedure, which enables defendants to plead guilty online and choose to have their case decided by a single magistrate without going to court, has reduced engagement with the justice system.38 Evaluating the impact of reforms