Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, courts and tribunals in Canada have increasingly shifted toward virtual processes, replacing many in-person court hearings with meetings via Zoom, Teams, etc. However, very little has been done to understand the public's experience of these virtual hearings.

The National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP) is conducting this research project (generously funded by a grant from the McLachlin Fund) in order to understand self-represented litigants' experiences with virtual hearings in all legal environments (family, civil, criminal, tribunal). This anonymous survey will give us data that we will analyze and discuss in a research paper. This paper will conclude with recommendations to Canadian courts and tribunals for developing and improving virtual hearing processes. This paper will be released in early 2024, and will be widely distributed both publicly and to key stakeholders in the justice system. 

While answering the following questions, please reflect on your experience with virtual hearings, rather than in-person hearings you may have had. 

If you have questions about this project please contact NSRLP Project Manager Dayna Cornwall at representingyourself@gmail.com. 

Thank you for taking the time to fill out this survey - your experience is vital to our work. 

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