Leiden University conducts research into impact of coronavirus crisis on judicial system
Leiden University, together with Utrecht University and Radboud University in Nijmegen, has received a research grant from the Covid-19 programme of ZonMw, the Dutch organisation for research into health care.
As a result of measures to combat the coronavirus, many court proceedings were unable to proceed. The most urgent cases were held virtually, which led to innovations in digital communication which can provide lessons for the future.
The research will analyse the issues that have arisen during the coronacrisis in relation to the justice system in the Netherlands, the measures taken and the impact of these on the fundamental rights of vulnerable litigants, in particular, and their faith in the justice system. It aims to contribute to the further development of the institution of the justice system, and to reinforcing the fundamental rights of these vulnerable litigants in times of crisis and beyond.
The part of the research being conducted in Leiden, supervised by Professor Miranda Boone, focuses on the development of the qualitative research part of the project and the part of the final report that deals with the consequences for the criminal justice system. Mariëlle Bruning, Professor of Children’s Law, and Sigrid van Wingerden, lecturer in criminology, are also involved in the project on behalf of Leiden University.