Judicial Council to livestream conference on increasing access

The Judicial Council will hold a web conference Friday to hear ways the judicial branch can increase access for court users experiencing homelessness and the public in general.

The meeting follows a report issued by California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye's Work Group on Homelessness, which provides recommendations on how the judicial branch could help improve access for litigants in eviction cases.

The report recommends a number of changes to the court, including increasing remote access, expanding self-help resources, and creating more easy to use court forms. It also recommends developing legislation to create and fund a statewide program to provide legal representation in residential eviction cases for litigants who can't afford attorneys, and expanding court diversion, mediation, and settlement efforts, according to a statement.

At the Nov. 19 meeting, the council will also consider recommendations from a work group established by Cantil-Sakauye to revise standards that promote an environment free of bias and the appearance of bias in court proceedings.

The council's Ad Hoc Workgroup on Post-Pandemic Initiatives will also discuss a new resource guide that will help judges plan and conduct proceedings by video conference.

The complete meeting agenda and council reports are posted on the California Courts Meeting Information Center online, according to the announcement.