SURVEY: If you had the chance, how would you go about building the best court system in the world? Most court systems have evolved over hundreds of years, and contain quirks and anomalies through historical accident.
Occasionally some parts of the process are updated and sometimes political pressure forces change. Rarely is there an opportunity to build a court system from scratch. Yet that seems to be the intention of an ongoing consultation in Scotland. Lord Gill has been tasked with reviewing the entire civil court system in the country. His mandate allows for 'root and branch' reform.
The cynic might dismiss the review as an exercise in cost-cutting masquerading as reform. But there does seem to be a desire to look at all aspects of the dispute resolution system and to build a modern, and effective, process.
So where do you start? We believe that if a review is to be effective then it needs to identify the core principles which are necessary for the proper running of a justice system. We have launched a survey that suggests 10 principles.
We would be grateful for your views on these principles – and three lucky respondents will each win a 16GB Apple iPod Touch. Please take our 2-minute survey.
