The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has issued new guidelines to assist judges in handling civil cases involving self-represented litigants. Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd emphasized the significance of these guidelines, noting they offer crucial direction for judges to ensure impartiality while ensuring fairness in proceedings with self-represented individuals. Budd’s statement on the initiative is further detailed in a statement to the Massachusetts Court System.
The context for these guidelines arises from a significant number of civil case litigants who appear without legal representation due to the lack of a right to appointed counsel, a stark contrast to criminal cases. In several civil case types, an overwhelming 80% or more involve at least one self-represented party.
This comprehensive 49-page guide updates and supersedes the guidelines issued in 2006 and also incorporates information from the 2016 Massachusetts Code of Judicial Conduct. A more detailed exploration of these updates can be found in the original article.