The Court Access and Community Relations Committee continued to develop innovative self-help services and resources to provide meaningful access to justice for all court users, regardless of circumstances. Because the accessibility of justice goes well beyond an internet connection or a Zoom link, the Judicial Council’s Equal Justice Committee (EJC) continues to identify and address discriminatory
“Maryland Court Help Center services are a critical function of our state’s civil justice system,” said District Court Chief Judge John P. Morrissey. “In fiscal year 2021, Maryland Court Help Centers provided more than 147,000 instances of service in civil matters to litigants without counsel and, in its first six months, the new District Court Help Center in Rockville served more than 1,700 litigants without counsel.”
impacts in all aspects of the Judiciary’s functions. The global health pandemic provided the Maryland Judiciary with further insight into the inequality within the criminal justice system. As a result, Judiciary leadership continues to engage with the community it serves. Throughout the summer and fall of 2021, the Judicial Council’s Equal Justice Committee hosted virtual listening sessions to obtain public feedback on Maryland rules. During summer 2021, the EJC’s Rules Review Subcommittee held 12 virtual listening sessions ranging in topics from domestic violence and protective orders to juvenile delinquency and Child in Need of Assistance proceedings.
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