An article titled "A Looming Sunset," which was published in the April edition of The Illinois Bar Journal, discusses The Illinois Supreme Court Statutory Court Fee Task Force's release of its final report, which examines a comprehensive set of reforms that restructured Illinois court assessments and fees in criminal and civil cases. If no action is taken by the end of the year, the reforms will be repealed on January 1, 2024. 

The report is a follow-up to the original recommendations by the task force after its implementation in 2016. It expands on the prior report's aims to reduce barriers to access to justice, expand the availability of fee waivers to low-income litigants, and simplify the system of court fees imposed in civil, criminal, and traffic cases.

NGE Litigation partner Steve Pflaum chaired the Task Force this year and in 2016. Other members of the Task Force include legislators, judges, lawyers, and circuit clerks from across Illinois, many of whom also served in the original Task Force. 

In the recent report, the Task Force recommends that the General Assembly repeal the sunset provision. Steve comments on this recommendation in the article, stating that "The alternative of letting the sunset expire is really unthinkable and is one that no one supports because it would allow the elimination of fees and costs." 

Click here to read the article (subscription may be required).