Procedural agreements hold the potential to effectively customise and expedite civil proceedings. However, their impact on access to justice, particularly for weaker litigants, and the potential erosion of the court’s role raise significant concerns. Despite the growing acceptance of procedural contracts, it is still unclear how courts should interpret and when they should enforce these agreements. This book delves into the critical examination of choice-of-court, evidentiary, costs, appeal...

The unforeseen Covid-19 pandemic has propelled, and continues to propel, unprecedented transformations to civil proceedings and the landscape in which they operate. Courts have proven to be creative and innovative in their responses to the pandemic, and in their ability to implement digitisation of paperwork and remote hearings. This book contains a comparative study of how courts in 23 countries have coped with the pandemic, addressing selected innovations and adaptations to court proceedin...