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This blog post was published under the 2015-2024 Conservative Administration

https://insidehmcts.blog.gov.uk/2017/06/16/revolutionising-summary-justice-an-update-on-the-single-justice-procedure/

Revolutionising summary justice – an update on the Single Justice Procedure

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Crime, Digital services


[English] - [Cymraeg]

Hello, my name is Mike Logan and I work in HM Courts and Tribunals’ Development Directorate. I would like to share with you an update on the implementation of the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) which is the means by which work is processed within the Single Justice Service (SJS).

What is Single Justice Service

A key part of the reform of courts work. SJS will contain all services delivered by the magistrates’ court which can be considered by a single magistrate. As well as SJP it will include applications and the digital services which support these including Automated Track Case Management (ATCM); online plea; and the Applications Register.

What is Single Justice Procedure

A legislative change in the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 allowed for a single magistrate to deal with adult summary-only, non-imprisonable offences for “guilty” pleas and “proof in absence” cases. They sit with a legal advisor outside of a court room without the defendant or prosecutor being present, for cases such as speeding, vehicle excise duty and fare evasion. These cases account for about 850,000 of the total cases per annum.

This change links closely with the successful rollout of the online plea service for traffic offences, which is also live across the country. SJP went live in April 2015 at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court which was an early adopter and a prototype for the new procedure in London for the Metropolitan Police Service, DVLA and Transport for London cases. In April 2016, a Statutory Instrument was laid to extend the use of SJP to other prosecutors such as TV Licensing, the Environment Agency, train operating companies and local authorities.

Stakeholder and user engagement is vital

Implementation has been managed through a cross-agency Single Justice Procedure Steering Group which I chair. All of the national prosecutors including the police, DVLA and TV Licensing are represented along with HMCTS Regional Leads. The Group has done a huge amount of work with the support of MoJ Digital User Experience colleagues from developing the new SJP Notice which is sent to the defendant, to agreeing a national SJP Protocol outlining the key business processes to be followed by all agencies.

Group of people around a table
Mike Logan pictured with the SJP Team

There were a number of challenges to overcome, such as dealing with 43 individual police forces and their different IT systems and requirements. However, by devoting time to build excellent working relationships with colleagues from the police and prosecution agencies at the outset, we ensured implementation has been kept on course.

This steering group is shortly to be replaced by an operational working group which will monitor progress and future developments of SJP and online plea.

Current Position

The national picture on implementation is really positive. SJP is now live in 57 Magistrates Courts across England and Wales. Between its inception in April 2015 and April 2017 the number of cases dealt with using SJP numbered 667,168 of which 599,921 were disposed of. All 43 police forces are now live. DVLA and TV Licencing (TVL) are now live in all HMCTS Regions. We also have local authorities and train operating companies using the new procedure. SJP has generally been well received by magistrates, prosecutors and court staff. Prosecutors have reported benefits from not having to attend court as often to increased productivity.

Latest Developments

ATCM is the new end to end digital service that will process SJP work. ATCM, through the prosecutor portal enables prosecutors to directly upload their SJP cases onto the system. It provides an interface for legal advisors to access and record decisions for SJP cases, notify parties of decisions made and generate orders and notices.

The product has initially been developed as a pilot in conjunction with Transport for London. The first SJP session was held in Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court on 12 May 2017, with two more following in quick succession.

Discovery work has started with TVL and DVLA to extend ATCM to their cases. Initial discussions are also being had with police in order to start preparations for including traffic cases.

Team working is crucial to success

None of this could be done without the invaluable support of colleagues within my team, HMCTS Regional Business Change Managers and Common Platform Implementation Leads. All involved have done a huge amount of engagement locally with the various prosecution authorities. A number of process mapping events have been held to agree future state arrangements and to work out and agree plans across each HMCTS Region.

Feedback

I hope you found this blog informative and I would be interested in hearing your views on whether further blogs on SJP would be useful. Please feel free to contact me or the team directly by email or by using the comments function at the bottom on this page.


[English] - [Cymraeg]

Chwyldroi cyfiawnder diannod – diweddariad ar y Weithdrefn Un Ynad

Helo, fy enw i yw Mike Logan ac rwy’n gweithio i Gyfarwyddiaeth Datblygu Llysoedd a Thribiwnlysoedd EM. Hoffwn rannu diweddariad gyda chi ar weithredu’r Weithdrefn Un Ynad (SJP), sy’n golygu'r ffordd y prosesir gwaith o fewn y Gwasanaeth Un Ynad (SJS).

Beth yw Gwasanaeth Un Yna

Mae’r Gwasanaeth Un Ynad yn rhan allweddol o ddiwygio gwaith y llysoedd. Bydd SJS yn cynnwys yr holl wasanaethau y mae’r llys ynadon yn eu darparu ac y mae’n bosib i un ynad yn unig eu hystyried. Yn ogystal â’r SJP, bydd yn cynnwys ceisiadau a’r gwasanaethau digidol sy’n cefnogi’r rhain gan gynnwys Trac Awtomataidd ar gyfer Rheoli Achosion (ATCM); pledio ar-lein; a’r Gofrestr Ceisiadau.

Beth yw Weithdrefn Un Ynad

Mi wnaeth newid deddfwriaethol yn Deddf Cyfiawnder Troseddol a'r Llysoedd 2015 ganiatáu i un ynad ddelio â throseddau lle mae oedolion wedi cael eu cyhuddo o gyflawni troseddau diannod, na ellir rhoi dedfryd o garchar amdanynt ac wedi pledio’n “euog” ac achosion “profi mewn absenoldeb.” Maent yn eistedd gyda chynghorydd cyfreithiol tu allan i ystafell llys heb i’r diffynnydd na’r erlynydd fod yn bresennol, ar gyfer achosion fel goryrru, trwydded ecséis cerbyd a pheidio â thalu am docyn. Mae hyn gyfwerth â thua 850,000 o achosion bob blwyddyn.

Mae yna gysylltiad agos rhwng y newid hwn a chyflwyniad llwyddiannus y gwasanaeth pledio ar-lein ar gyfer troseddau traffig, sydd hefyd yn fyw ar draws y wlad. Aeth SJP yn fyw yn Ebrill 2015 yn llys ynadon Lavender Hill gan ei fod yn safle mabwysiadu cynnar ac yn brototeip ar gyfer y weithdrefn newydd yn Llundain ar gyfer achosion yr Heddlu Metropolitan, DVLA a Transport for London. Yn Ebrill 2016, cafodd Offeryn Statudol ei lunio er mwyn ymestyn SJP i erlynwyr eraill megis Trwyddedu Teledu, Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd, cwmnïau gweithredu trenau ac awdurdodau lleol.

Mae ymgysylltu gyda rhanddeiliaid a defnyddwyr yn hanfodol

Roedd gweithrediad SJP yn cael ei reoli drwy Grŵp Llywio’r Weithdrefn Un Ynad oedd yn cael ei gadeirio gen i. Roedd pob un o’r erlynwyr cenedlaethol gan gynnwys yr heddlu, DVLA a Trwyddedu Teledu yn cael eu cynrychioli yn ogystal ag Arweinwyr Rhanbarthol GLlTEM. Gwnaeth y Grŵp lawer iawn o waith gyda chefnogaeth ein cydweithwyr yn Nhîm Digidol y Weinyddiaeth Cyfiawnder, o ddatblygu'r Hysbysiad SJP newydd a anfonir at y diffynnydd, i gytuno ar Brotocol SJP cenedlaethol sy'n amlinellu'r prif brosesau busnes sydd i'w dilyn gan yr holl asiantaethau.

Roedd yna nifer o heriau yr ydym wedi gorfod eu goresgyn, megis delio â 43 o heddluoedd unigol sydd â systemau a gofynion TG gwahanol. Fodd bynnag, drwy neilltuo amser i ddatblygu perthnasau gwaith ardderchog gyda’n cydweithwyr o’r gwasanaethau heddlu ac asiantaethau erlyn ar y dechrau, mi wnaethom sicrhau bod y gweithrediad wedi mynd yn ei flaen.

Yn fuan, bydd y grŵp llywio hwn yn cael ei ddisodli gan weithgor gweithredol a fydd yn monitro cynnydd a datblygiadau SJP a phledio ar-lein yn y dyfodol.

Y Sefyllfa Bresennol

Mae’r darlun cenedlaethol o ran gweithrediad SJP yn hynod o bositif. Mae bellach yn fyw mewn 57 Llys Ynadon ar draws Cymru a Lloegr. Rhwng dechrau ym mis Ebrill 2015 ac Ebrill 2017, deliwyd â 667,168 o achosion drwy ddefnyddio SJP, a phenderfynwyd ar 599,921 o’r rheiny. Bellach mae bob un o’r 43 heddlu yn defnyddio’r broses. Mae DVLA a Trwyddedu Teledu (TVL) yn fyw ym mhob Rhanbarth GLlTEM. Mae yna hefyd awdurdodau lleol a chwmnïau gweithredu trenau sy’n defnyddio’r weithdrefn newydd. Yn gyffredinol mae SJP wedi cael croeso da gan yr ynadon, yr erlynwyr a staff y llys. Mae'r erlynwyr wedi riportio manteision gan gynnwys ddim yn gorfod mynychu'r llys mor aml a chynhyrchiant uwch.

Y datblygiadau diweddaraf

ATCM yw’r gwasanaeth digidol newydd o’r dechrau i’r diwedd fydd yn prosesu gwaith SJP. Drwy borth yr erlynydd, mae ATCM yn galluogi erlynwyr i lwytho eu hachosion SJP i fyny yn uniongyrchol ar y system. Mae’n darparu rhyngwyneb i gynghorwyr cyfreithiol gael mynediad at, a chofnodi penderfyniadau ar gyfer achosion SJP, hysbysu partïon o’r penderfyniadau a wnaed, yn ogystal â chreu gorchmynion a hysbysiadau.

Datblygwyd y rhaglen i gychwyn fel cynllun peilot ar y cyd â Transport for London. Cynhaliwyd y sesiwn SJP gyntaf yn Llys Ynadon Lavender Hill ar 12 Mai 2017, gyda dwy sesiwn arall yn dilyn yn fuan iawn wedyn.

Mae gwaith ymchwil wedi dechrau gyda TVL a DVLA i ddefnyddio ATCM gyda’u hachosion hwy hefyd. Mae trafodaethau cychwynnol wedi digwydd gyda'r heddlu hefyd er mwyn dechrau ar y gwaith paratoi ar gyfer cynnwys achosion traffig.

Mae gweithio mewn tîm yn hanfodol i sicrhau llwyddiant

Ni fyddai dim o hyn yn bosib heb gefnogaeth amhrisiadwy cydweithwyr yn fy nhîm, Rheolwyr Newid Busnes Rhanbarthol GLlTEM ac Arweinwyr Gweithredu Platfform Cyffredin. Mae pawb wedi gwneud llawer iawn o waith ymgysylltu yn lleol gyda’r awdurdodau erlyn amrywiol. Cynhaliwyd nifer o ddigwyddiadau mapio proses er mwyn cytuno ar drefniadau cenedlaethol ar gyfer y dyfodol ac i drafod a chytuno ar gynlluniau ar draws pob un o Ranbarthau GLlTEM.

Adborth

Rwy’n gobeithio eich bod wedi cael budd o’r blog hwn a byddai gennyf ddiddordeb mewn clywed eich barn o ran a fyddai blogiau eraill ar SJP yn ddefnyddiol. Mae croeso i chi anfon e-bost yn uniongyrchol ataf i neu fy nhîm neu gallwch ddefnyddio’r cyfleuster sylwadau sydd ar waelod y dudalen hon.

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