Solicitors off their mark with Civil Online

Gilson Gray, and Hamilton practice TCH Law, were the first to use the new fully digital service for simple procedure cases on Civil Online, according to Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service (SCTS).

Launched yesterday, the new service makes it possible for the first time for a civil case to proceed from end to end online. Parties can submit simple procedure cases, pay court fees, submit supporting documents and respond to any claim lodged, all online at any time. This will allow fully digital hearings with all case documentation available and presented in the courtroom through Civil Online.

The first phase of Civil Online was introduced in March last year to allow parties to track the progress of cases in court. It was enhanced in December to enable parties to access court documents and receive automatic notification, rather than receiving documents by post. Since December there have been over 4,000 simple procedure cases registered, and 54% of claimants and 33% of respondents have opted for online notification. There are now more than 700 legal firms and organisations registered to use Civil Online.

Eric McQueen, chief executive of SCTS, commented: "Simple procedure was designed to provide an inexpensive and speedy way to resolve civil disputes where the value is £5,000 or less. Through Civil Online we are now enabling secure applications and case management for the first time as a fully digital service. While we are delighted to offer this new service, we will continue to support those who cannot use online access to justice.

"This service delivers the modern digital service our users now expect, but Civil Online is not about digital decision making. Cases will still be judicially managed and come before the judiciary for a hearing or determination as required by court rules. Evidence can be electronically presented in court from applications and documents submitted online. It is possible to track all the actions relating to a case through the online portal."

David Alexander, partner and head of Debt Recovery at Gilson Gray added: "We are immensely proud to have been chosen to assist SCTS with the implementation of the new Civil Online case management system. The submission of the first simple procedure action this morning went smoothly thanks to the hard work of all concerned."