The role of technology in resolving low value civil disputes. Can technology achieve justice?

Abstract

The use of the technological tools or online dispute resolution (ODR) in the judicial system has been recently proposed as an approach that would enhance the efficiency of the court system, particularly for low-value civil claims. Nevertheless, others remain in favour of traditional litigation processes to manage the legal conflicts. The purpose of this article is to investigate the appropriateness and eligibility of applying technological tools instead of the traditional approaches to resolving low-value civil claims. The paper describes the nature of low-value civil claims as well as the concept of ODR. It discusses different views regarding the feasibility of ODR tools by illustrating the advantages and disadvantages of ODR tools. In addition, the paper examines the accessibility and the efficiency of the ODR approach in low-value civil claims. Although there are limited situations where the use of technology might undermine justice, in most situations, the employment of ODR tools was found to be more accessible, efficient and less expensive than the traditional processes in resolving low-value civil disputes.