Online Court Problems During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Advocates in Providing Legal Assistance to Clients

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO), declared the outbreak of the spread of Covid-19 as the first and foremost health crisis pandemic in the world. Due to the pandemic, human life has changed including legal services provided by advocates where there are rules regarding online trials during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study uses empirical juridical research methods or field research, namely examining applicable legal provisions and what is happening in reality in society. The problems in this study are: 1. What are the advantages of online trials during the pandemic according to advocates in providing legal assistance to clients? 2. What are the shortcomings of online trials during the pandemic according to advocates in providing legal assistance to the clients? The results show that the advantages of online trials according to advocates include: 1. More practical and easier for the trial because it does not have to be present in court. 2. It is more efficient because case information is in one account. 3. More cost-effective while the disadvantages of online trials according to advocates include: 1. Signal interference and technological devices. 2. Lack of effective law enforcement. 3. Violating the provisions of procedural law in proving. So far, the law has always been far behind in the development of community needs, so progressive law is more open and responsive to changes and is not bound by written law. In this case, the law must be placed in the whole of humanity. Thus, the role of judges is more to ensure the fulfillment of community needs for justice and welfare. This means that the existence of the law should reflect the standard of what is good and bad, fair and unfair.
 Keywords: online courts, advocates, pandemic Covid-19