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Hundreds of new laws went into effect Jan. 1, including many that will protect the public and improve access to justice for all Californians.

​“The Judicial Council of California and its chair, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, are committed to providing equal access and fairness in our justice system,” said Judge Marla O. Anderson.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed his first state budget on Thursday, which includes nearly $470 million in new judicial branch funding to continue the courts’ steady recovery after years of deep cuts.

Statewide investment in self-help services has helped Alameda Superior Court open a second center.

The budget cuts $200 million from the state court system, though $150 million could be restored if the federal government sends additional aid by the fall.

In 2016, the Judicial Council continued focusing on efforts to better stabilize branch funding, improve branch governance, and to address concerns about fairness raised by the public, our sister branches of government, and stakeholders throughout the state.

"We in the judicial branch will do our best to serve the public in these unprecedented times of a global pandemic and recession," Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye said.

The Judicial Council of California will not vote today on whether to end two emergency rules governing evictions and judicial foreclosures, after Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye announced she suspended the vote.

The Judicial Council of California will consider ending three temporary emergency rules governing evictions, judicial foreclosures and an emergency bail schedule, as California begins a phased re-opening and courts restore services shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Jerry Brown signed a state budget on Wednesday that will help restore court services slashed during the recession, fund courthouse projects, and improve access to justice for millions of Californians.  

Facing growing numbers of civil and family law litigants representing themselves, courts are expanding services offered through “self-help” centers.