§ Mr. John TaylorTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans the Lord Chancellor has to review the(a) rules governing and (b) guidance offered to judges presiding in the Small Claims Court concerning their conduct to litigants in person; and if he will introduce independent assessors to monitor the observance of such rules and guidance. [88238]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThere are no rules relating specifically to judges in small claims cases dealing with litigants in person, and the Lord Chancellor has no current plans to introduce any.
The Judicial Studies Board, an independent body, provides guidance to judges on the conduct of small claims cases in its Civil Bench Book and on the particular needs of litigants in person in its Equal Treatment Bench Book. Both publications are available on the JSB's website (www.jsboard.co.uk).
The Lord Chancellor expects judges to uphold the highest standards of probity, impartiality, courtesy and consideration in dealing with all litigants. Where it is alleged that a judge has failed to meet these standards, the Lord Chancellor, as Head of the Judiciary, is able to 68W consider any complaint that is made about the judge's conduct. He has no plans to introduce independent assessors to monitor the Judiciary's dealings with litigants in person.