The authority of the UK's legal system maybe undermined by the move to virtual hearings, says leading North West family lawyer and SAS Daniels LLP partner, Claire Porter.

The lawyer, whose partner firm has offices across Cheshire, says that whilst the system has allowed legal proceedings to continue to function during the pandemic, it may have come at a cost of reducing its apparent seriousness.

Claire Porter said: "Most people feel more comfortable with a remote hearing. They are less formal and intimidating than attending a courtroom with all the associated paraphernalia of the legal system but during the lockdown, I was shocked by the casual attitude and lack of respect shown by many participants in remote hearings.

"Courtrooms are physical and symbolic statements that reinforce the gravity of the law. The authority of the court system is being undermined."

A report published in 2021 by Nuffield Family Justice Observatory revealed that although legal practitioners felt fairness and just had been achieve most/all of the time, 83 percent of clients had concerns about how their case was dealt with remotely.

The ease of attending a hearing via a laptop or other remote device, whilst convenient, can cause other problems.

"One of my client’s final hearings had to be abandoned due to connectivity problems experienced by the other party’s barrister which led to worrying delays as the hearing could not proceed. Privacy is another concern - I’ve heard about someone being expected to attend a hearing from a hospital bed within earshot of everyone around them."

The need for a personal touch can also be lost when a hearing is not conducted in person, such as in child arrangement cases where "urgency and sensitivity" are crucial.

These comments have been echoed by Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the family division of the high court, who said: "Many lawyers and judges have found it extremely difficult to conduct online hearings with the level of empathy and humanity required."

Despite this, Mrs Porter said that this method was now "here to stay" and that it was imperative that lawyers participating in virtual proceeding ensured that their clients felt heard, "whatever the means of delivery".