Will judicial encouragement of the use of virtual courts and private FDRs lend a steer to the new child arbitration extensions?

On 17 March 2020 the Family Division noted in a statement that “there is an urgent need to increase the use of telephone and video technology immediately to hold remote hearings where possible. Emergency legislation is being drafted which is likely to contain clauses that expand the powers in criminal courts to use technology in a wider range of hearings. The Civil Procedure Rules and Family Procedure Rules provide for considerable flexibility. We also encourage you to work with your local court staff to identify work which could be done from home.”