Heavy trial delays stemming from funding cuts and the lack of resources to meet needs of citizens in the court system were top concerns discussed at a recent hearing of the ABA Task Force on the Preservation of the Justice System.
At its second national hearing, held at the University of New Hampshire, the Task Force heard from justices, administrators, lawyers, and clients who are frustrated with the consequences of cuts to court funding, according to an article from the New Hampshire Business Review.
Civil cases have been delayed for years as a result of over-crowded dockets. Attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson, co-chairs of the Task Force, heard from people who had been kept waiting for their day in court, and about the toll that waiting had taken on them and their families.
The recession and subsequent budget cuts to court funding have resulted in vacant judgeships and lack of administrators to carry out the work of the judiciary. Innovations alone will not make up for these shortages, said New Hampshire Bar President Marilyn Billings McNamara. Attendees at the hearing insisted that more resources are needed for an effective court system to function.
Other concerns raised at the hearing included a general lack of consistent funding to help the poor with civil legal assistance. One judge stated:
“Access to justice is not [a] luxury only to be afforded in good times.”
Issues discussed at the hearing will be compiled into a report that the Task Force will submit to the ABA House of Delegates.
Justice at Stake originally published this post on June 22, 2011. Gavel Grab republished it from the public archive under new and independent ownership, with no affiliation to Justice at Stake. Gavel Grab is published by Christopher Armitage, founder of The Existentialist Republic.
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