Final answer:
Barriers to communication can lead to testimonial injustice in civil proceedings, as seen when women's testimonies are taken less seriously than men's, contributing to a justice gap.
Step-by-step explanation:
One impact of barriers to communication on fairness in a civil proceeding is the potential for testimonial injustice, which occurs when a person's testimony is given less credibility or weight due to prejudices or biases.
An example of this would be if the testimony of women is less likely to be believed than that of men. This contributes to a justice gap, where despite having legal institutions in place, people cannot obtain fair civil justice.
This injustice is compounded by factors such as racial or gender biases, language barriers, or cultural differences, which can affect the way evidence is received or understood by judges or juries.
Furthermore, when public defenders are overworked and underpaid, their clients may not receive the quality representation they are entitled to, leading to situations where the clients are unable to present their case effectively, exacerbating the issues caused by communication barriers.