Milestone meeting for civil justice group
A civil justice group has marked a couple of firsts with their latest meeting.
The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) has held its first ever open meeting outside of London, and the first in-person open meeting since the pandemic. It was attended by the public, stakeholders, students and lawyers – the latter two had the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.
The CPRC is an independent statutory body responsible for making and updating the rules that govern practice and procedure in the civil courts of England and Wales.
It is chaired by Lady Justice Cockerill, Deputy Head of Civil Justice, on behalf of the Master of the Rolls. Committee members include judges, practitioners and representatives of the lay advice and consumer affairs sectors.
Each year, the committee holds an annual open meeting, providing members of the public and interested stakeholders with the opportunity to observe them in session and have pre-submitted questions addressed in an open forum. For the first time since the COVID‑19 pandemic, the meeting was held in person and, marking a further milestone, it took place outside London, in central Birmingham, for the first time in the committee’s 29‑year history.
Following the meeting, a dedicated engagement session was held for students and junior lawyers, where a panel of committee members responded to questions from more than 30 delegates on a wide range of topics, including access to justice and the developing role of artificial intelligence within the civil justice system.
Lady Justice Cockerill said: “I was delighted to chair the first open meeting of the CPRC to take place outside London – and also the first in person open meeting since the pandemic. It was a pleasure to be welcomed so warmly and to have the opportunity to answer questions both from practitioners and students. It is vitally important that people can engage with the civil justice system and understand how it works and affects their lives, as well as the work that goes into making the rules which govern its processes.”
