Observing hearings

The objective of this study is to understand how effectively people participate in court when they do not have a lawyer. We are developing an observation schedule to explore this and are piloting it in family courts in 2022.

You are not obliged to have your hearings observed and your (or your client’s) consent is voluntary. If you (or your client) do not consent to have your hearings observed, this will have no bearing on your case.

The judge in your hearing will check if you are happy for the observers to be present.

Researchers will observe your hearing either in person or via Sightlink. We will remain silent throughout, unless asked a question by the judge or officer of the court, and make notes to pilot the observation schedule.

We will observe only the interactions in the hearing and will not focus on the details of your case.

If you have received information from NICTS about this study and you are self-representing, you do not need to do anything. The judge in your hearing will ask if you are happy for the researchers to attend.

If you are a legal representative and have received information from NICTS about this study, ask your client whether they are content for the researchers to attend to be ready to inform the judge.

If you have not received information from NICTS about this study and are happy for us to observe your hearings, please sign up so we can contact you.

Let NICTS or the judge know if you no longer wish your hearings to be observed. This will have no bearing on your case.

All information we collect will be treated confidentially. Your data will be anonymised so that you cannot be identified and we will not reveal your identity in any reports.

All materials will be stored securely on a password protected computer and held securely at Ulster University for a period of 10 years, after which they will be destroyed. Only the research team will have access to the material collected.

The information from our research findings will be presented at conferences to members of the public, academics, government figures and professionals who help people at court hearings. Our research will also be published in academic journals. Our intention is that the findings will help improve some court procedures.

The research is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, which is a UK funding body that helps support different types of research, mostly done by staff working in universities.

This study has been reviewed by Ulster University’s Research Ethics Committee in accordance with the University’s ethical procedures.

It is very unlikely that anything will go wrong. However, if you are unhappy with the behaviour of the researchers, you can make a complaint verbally or in writing to the Chief Investigator, Professor Gráinne McKeever:

• Email - g.mckeever@ulster.ac.uk
• Tel - 028 9036 6340

She will take your complaint seriously and be in touch with you within five days. If she is not able to resolve the complaint with you, you can take your complaint further using Ulster University’s formal procedures.

Get more information on the Ulster University complaints procedure

Ulster University is the sponsor or managing organisation for this study and will use information gathered from you to carry it out. The University will act as the data controller, which means that it is responsible for looking after your information and using it properly, as stipulated in GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This means that when you agree to take part in a study, the University will use your data to conduct the research and analyse the information and findings, making sure that your data is anonymised so that you cannot be personally identified.

Get more about how we look after research data