The pandemic has had a significant impact on how legal proceedings are conducted. This is especially true in cases that involve large numbers of people, such as class-action lawsuits. Read below to see how the COVID-19 pandemic made legal processes more challenging to handle.
1. Ensuring the safety of all participants
One of the main issues that have arisen is how to ensure the safety of all participants. With so many people gathering in one place, there is a greater risk of spreading the virus.
The pandemic has led to some court proceedings being postponed or canceled altogether. When possible, lawyers and judges are looking for ways to have remote hearings instead of requiring everyone in the courtroom.
2. Maintaining social distancing guidelines
Another challenge is maintaining social distancing guidelines. These guidelines made it especially difficult in courtrooms, where people often must sit close.
To help with this, some courts have reduced the number of people allowed in the courtroom at one time. In some cases, individuals who are not essential to a hearing must remain outside during the proceedings.
3. Meeting evidence requirements
For a legal case to proceed, both sides must present their evidence. This can be difficult when people cannot physically meet and exchange information. The evidence may also be in a different location than the court proceedings, making it difficult to access.
The courts solve this by having the evidence delivered electronically and then viewed by the appropriate parties during the proceedings.
4. Protecting victims’ rights
The pandemic has also presented a challenge for protecting the rights of victims. This is especially problematic for sexual assault cases, which often require a victim to recount the traumatic experience in detail, or divorce cases where domestic violence is involved, leaving divorce lawyers unable to assess the situation properly.
Different approaches are being explored to help with this. The law is attempting to keep these cases separate from the rest of the proceedings while still ensuring the safety of all participants.
5. Access to legal services
The pandemic has made it even more difficult for people to access legal services in some areas. This is often due to a lack of resources, such as lawyers and court staff. It is also caused by increased demand for these services.
Many legal organizations are working to streamline processes and reduce the number of steps required to address this. Some also provide services remotely to help people who cannot physically access them.
6. Coordinating multiple participants
Multiple participants are involved in most legal cases, including witnesses, lawyers, and judges. This large number of participants can make coordination difficult, especially when people are in different locations.
Courtrooms have resorted to using technology to help with this, such as video conferencing and conference calling to bring everyone together, but this is still not a perfect solution because there can be technical difficulties.
7. Dealing with backlogs
The pandemic has also led to a backlog of cases in many courts. This can be frustrating for those involved in the legal process, as it is challenging to know when the justice system will resolve an issue.
In some cases, temporary measures have been put in place to prioritize certain types of legal claims over others. Lawyers and judges are also trying their best to clear out the backlog as quickly as possible so that people can have some sense of closure while dealing with all of the other challenges presented by the pandemic.
8. Handling sensitive information
Many cases involve disclosing highly sensitive or private information, both personally and professionally. This can be challenging to manage when people cannot meet in person to discuss the case.
One solution being used is to have all of the evidence and information exchanged electronically so that it can be viewed remotely by all of the appropriate parties. This helps protect sensitive data while still allowing cases to proceed as usual.
9. Navigating legal processes
Finally, the pandemic has made navigating the legal process more challenging. This is because many of the procedures and processes typically need to be adapted to the current situation. This can be confusing for everyone involved, making it difficult to resolve a case promptly.
The pandemic has presented several challenges to the legal system. These challenges made it even more difficult to access justice and get cases resolved promptly. But the legal system is adaptable, and different approaches are being explored to help address these challenges. With time, the legal system will likely find ways to overcome these obstacles and continue to provide justice for all.
