The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have understandably extended to justice delivery. Not only has the response merited a change in how Courts are hearing matters, but also a steep upward adjustment for expected matters in terms of numbers requiring dispute resolution. The resultant situation from the pandemic has required a swift and long term relook at solutions that can help increase dispute avoidance, and conflict resolution outside of the Courts, but with their support. Invariably, technology will be able to bring in efficiency, affordability, and scale to what is an urgent need for sustainable and ongoing access to justice. This is why Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) has the potential to be a transformative and disruptive mechanism for resolving disputes.
ODR, as a likely enabler of enhanced Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living, could potentially help solve small and medium value disputes before they enter formal court processes. ODR essentially takes the leading global practices from Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and synergizes them with the latest technology. E-commerce disputes have been tackled through ODR for several years now, with eBay having resolved many million matters through this process at its Resolution Center. Others too have followed suit with success. The European Online Dispute Re