Frontiers in Civil Justice – Privatizing, Digitizing and Funding Justice

Abstract

Civil justice systems are a continuous topic of discussion and reform at national, European and global level with a view to improving access to justice. While traditionally focusing on basic requirements to secure the efficiency and quality of justice, new developments in the broader arena of civil justice, including technological advancements, follow each other in rapid fashion. This chapter introduces three connected and cross-cutting issues in civil justice which require a deeper and renewed reflection considering their contribution in facilitating access to justice and currents debate in Europe, which are central in this book. These are the interaction between formal and informal justice against the background of the growth of ADR; the key importance of different forms of digitised justice; and the collectivisation of civil justice, more in particular the funding of collective redress. By bringing together these three frontier issues, the present chapter reflects on the development of civil justice in Europe, focusing on current challenges and opportunities, and assesses how these three key issues will further shape the future of civil justice in Europe.