Document Type
Report
Publication Date
6-2018
Abstract
Access to Justice requires that self-represented litigants (SRLs) be able, if they wish, to obtain a record of a court proceeding they have participated in. This is to ensure they did not miss hearing something important, and are able to comprehensively review what was said in the courtroom. Court hearings habitually use legal jargon that those without legal training may not understand, and as a result, the import of what is said by either the judge or the litigants’ lawyers during the hearing may be missed. Additionally, emotions and stress levels are usually high during a hearing, and sometimes the court appearance itself is brief. As a result of these factors it is sometimes critical, or at the least very helpful, for SRLs to be able to review what happened from the comfort of their own homes without the pressure they faced in the courtroom.