Public-Centred Civil Justice Redesign: A Case Study of the British Columbia Civil Resolution Tribunal

Abstract

This article deals with the new British Columbia Civil Resolution Tribunal (“CRT”). First of its kind in the world, the CRT will focus on early online dispute resolution as a tool to improve access to justice in BC. The authors will begin by examining public access problems with the current civil justice system. They will then challenge some of the common assumptions underlying the status quo, with the aim of opening a dialogue about which facets of the civil justice system are foundational to the rule of law and which ones ultimately detract from it. The article will conclude by offering some principles of user-centred justice design, and illustrating them through their application to the CRT.

Keywords: online dispute resolution, Civil Resolution Tribunal, ODR, CRT, A2J, access to justice, alternative dispute resolution, administrative law, ADR, mediation, facilitation, expert systems, artificial intelligence, AI, legal technology, administrative tribunal, administrative justice