They aim to support the progress made by civil justice reforms launched in April 1999 and create a civil court system fit for the 21st century. In the space of less than a decade we have seen significant civil justice reform and the birth of a new era in Human Rights. There have been major changes in the way citizens interact with the state and with each other. Disputes are no longer simply about local problems, and often relate to contracts and agreements made across regional and national boundaries. Yet the structure of the civil courts and the way they work has not kept pace with these changes.
Most people using the court are still limited to communicating in writing or by attending in person.
While this was entirely appropriate for the time of Dickens, it no longer serves modern day society. Nor does the location of county courts best match service to need. While many of the urban and suburban courts are close to each other with good public transport links, rural courts, where public transport is difficult, are thinly spread. Developments in technology have given people more direct access to services from their own homes, the library, workplace and even the supermarket. E-mail has become the communication medium of choice for much of business.