Research project on the Language of DIY Justice, focusing on communication challenges experienced by LIPS in civil proceedings

Posted on14 December 2020

Birmingham Law School and BCU School of English are conducting a research project on Language of DIY Justice, focusing on communication challenges experienced by Litigants in Person in civil proceedings.

The project investigates the following aspects: language used to construct perceptions around DIY Justice; legal-lay communication; and communication and elicitation processes embedded in court administration and procedures (e.g. how information and evidence is elicited through administrative steps and procedural rules).

The focus on language and communication allows the project to explore key players and factors that shape DIY Justice:

LIPs and their perceptions of their experiences and roles within legal proceedings;
judges and lawyers and their perceptions of LIPs’ capabilities and roles within legal proceedings;
communication challenges that arise during legal-lay interactions;
communication and elicitation processes inherent in court administrative procedures;
communication and elicitation processes embedded in civil procedure rules.

We would also be interested in your reflections on recent remote hearings if you have any experience with LIPs in these settings.

As part of the project, the Principal Investigator Dr Tatiana Tkacukova is interested in conducting interviews with solicitors and barristers who have experience dealing with LIPs. If you would like to share your experience and views, please get in touch with Tatiana at tatiana.tkacukova@bcu.ac.uk. The interview will last for app. 15 mins and can be done over the phone or via Zoom/MS Teams/Skype or another online platform.

Thank you very much for considering your involvement.

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