COVID-19 implications for dispute resolution

This subtopic aims to bring together practical guidance, news and other resources to help general dispute resolution practitioners understand and stay ahead of the fast-moving changes to the operation of the civil courts in England and Wales during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A number of court process and general litigation practice and procedure issues are affected, some significantly, by coronavirus.

This content considers these issues and the challenges practitioners ought to be considering, as well as exploring possible ways in which these challenges can be met, including:

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the impact the physical closure of a number of courts and/or counters has had on filing documents, paying court fees and/or contacting the court for any other reason(s)
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hearings being conducted remotely, and
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the impact of the courts’ listing priorities on the progression of individual matters
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the impact of the government’s social distancing guidelines and/or impact of coronavirus itself on key individuals on the ability to, for example:
1. ◦
  issue

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