Statement from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Regarding Safe Courts and Access to Justice During COVID-19

For 83 years the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) has provided judicial officers, courts, and court-related agencies nationwide with the education, technical assistance, and research they need to improve the lives of those who seek fair, equal, effective and timely justice.

As the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the world, so is it changing the courts. Judicial officers, court staff, parties, subpoenaed witnesses, attorneys, and jurors must be healthy and safe in order for the courts to function. As trial court judges during this time of COVID-19, we have a responsibility to protect the health of those who enter our courthouses relying on our system of justice; to ensure they are safe and that our system remains fair.

We cannot ensure access to justice if we, people who work in the courts and people who appear in front of us, are ill or afraid coming to court will expose them to COVID-19. This is about community safety and access to justice, not politics. It is about ensuring a healthy and fair judicial system.

The NCJFCJ continues to support judges and court professionals through this pandemic. We also seek to prepare the judicial system for what comes next, so courts can ensure the needs of children, families, and victims are met, and that access to fair, equal, effective, and timely justice remains our priority.

Hon. Ramona A. Gonzalez President