[English] - [Cymraeg]
As I go around our courts and tribunal centres, I don’t meet many people working in the justice system who disagree with the general proposition that we need to change.
Few question the general proposition that we should be moving from time-consuming, expensive and fallible paper-based systems to digital ones, that we should be making better use of HMCTS properties, or that we should be developing new online tools that let people access justice more quickly and easily.
But people do often reflect concerns about whether we will be able to do what we have said we will and whether our reforms will be implemented well, and will work properly. Many point (not unreasonably) to criminal justice or wider Government IT problems of the past to illustrate these worries.
So, following on from my blog last week setting out why reform is needed and why we need to do more to engage and talk more widely about what we’re doing, I want to use this article to say a bit more about the approach we are taking to reform, and what we have done so far.
First, we have done many of the things that any successful project should. I am fortunate to have a first-class senior team that brings together skilled specialists, some with long experience of working within HMCTS, others who have come from elsewhere in Whitehall and beyond. We are also planning our work carefully and testing our own readiness regularly (I have walls of milestone charts, critical paths and dependency maps - and formal assurance processes that ‘gate’ what we do).
But we are also doing some things in a radically different way from old-style Government projects. Most importantly, we are using an ‘agile’ approach to digital development. This means building small components quickly and putting them to the test in the real world, iterating and improving them in response to feedback so that the systems really work for the people who use them.
It’s a method that helps with the balancing act between making sure we are being radical enough in taking the opportunity to do things differently, and making sure we are engaging with and listening to those with the expertise and know-how to make sure it works in practice.
It’s this sort of approach that has characterised more recent (and more successful) Government IT changes – like the system for applying for your passport online. It also means we actively want your feedback – as much of it as possible – on the early versions of things we develop, so that we can make them better. We’ll be introducing more direct opportunities for legal professionals and others to give us feedback, and to get meaningful responses from us.
The main drawback is that sometimes the first version of something – the ‘minimum viable product’, in the jargon – can be disappointing compared to the eventual aim. For example, our early version of the new divorce service is ‘print and post’ – just as the passport application service was when it was first launched. This may not feel very radical or digital; but starting fast and small lets us test things like how we make questions intelligible for people, and cut down the number of mistakes they make, before adding the next stage; and allows us to build pieces once that we can then use many times (for example, our ‘track my appeal’ system, being tested for social security appeals, will be the basis for systems to track all kinds of cases easily). It also removes the risk that we build a giant monolithic white elephant which is perfect in our heads but doesn’t work when unleashed on the world.
But actions always speak louder than words – so rather than take any more space to describe our working methods, here are some examples of the things we have done so far which (in my view at least) start to give us a track record and inspire confidence:
- Our Crown Court Digital Case System has made working lives easier for court staff, judges and advocates, and given better ‘lines of sight’ through the system, which cuts error and delay. I hear suggestions for improvement (we’ve got work on multi-handler under way) but have yet to meet anyone who thinks life was better without it.
- Wi-Fi in the criminal courts now serves at least 55,000 legal professional users, helping them do their jobs better. At the end of 2016, we extended Wi-Fi to the civil, family and tribunal areas of 45 combined courts and we are now rolling out to all Civil and Family Courts and Tribunals, at very high bandwidth.
- Help with Fees took a long and complex paper form and replaced it with an online service developed with the user in mind. We radically simplified what was asked, and replaced an invitation to send lots of paper evidence with an automatic link to DWP to check benefit eligibility. We went from an 80% rejection rate (mostly because the old, complicated form was hard to fill in correctly) to closer to 20%, and saved £1m. It’s a great example of how a well-designed digital route (with paper back-up for those that need it) can actually improve access to justice, even for potentially very vulnerable people. 87% of users rate it “good” or “very good”.
- In the year to April, we spent some £46m on the maintenance of our buildings, and over £20m on renovations and enhancements, sometimes to support changes in the way buildings are used – for example, modernising the former magistrates’ court building in Havant to create the new Havant Justice Centre. We have also upgraded some children’s rooms and victims’ and witnesses’ areas to make sure they are pleasant and welcoming, and set the standard for others in future. Where we have sold buildings, we are making sure that we get a good deal so there’s money to reinvest in others – we’ve raised significantly more than first hoped from the sales made so far. We’re using some of the funding for major reinvestments, as in Newcastle where we’re working with the local authority to develop a new, purpose-built legal centre that will allow us to bring several buildings into one. We’re also both working harder with our suppliers to get maintenance working properly, and changing our own internal rules so that simple things can be fixed faster, with less bureaucracy.
- The Common Platform Programme is creating an end-to-end system for crime that unites police, Crown Prosecution Service and HMCTS. Having begun more slowly than we would have liked, this is now moving at pace. We have started rolling out “Digital Mark-Up” to every magistrates court. By the end of this week we’ll have gone live in 41 courts. This gives legal advisers the ability to ‘result’ most cases directly in court (rather than writing longhand into a paper file in court, and passing the paper to an admin team to ‘result’ later by typing it into the system). We’ve also successfully launched a system to pull Transport for London (TfL) fare evasion cases directly into our systems, allowing magistrates to deal with them very rapidly, and ‘result’ them automatically. 350 cases a week are now being dealt with entirely end-to-end through this system, and we will now add TV licensing and DVLA cases, followed by police prosecutions for things like speeding.
- More fundamentally, the first digital release of the ‘main’ Common Platform – a true shared system between police, CPS and HMCTS that will let cases travel and be worked on through the system seamlessly – is now live with police and Crown Prosecution Service users in Mersey-Cheshire. This first slice of the system allows the CPS direct access to all the necessary material to review a case and make an initial decision online. A second release this week will allow cases to pass through into the early stages of the court process. It’s been at least a decade since I was first involved in conversations about this kind of end-to-end system, so it really is remarkable to watch it starting to be used on real cases. If you want to know more, or tell us what you think, a series of face-to-face engagement sessions on the Common Platform are taking place in courts around the country.
- Online applications for divorce and probate are being trialled with the public, who have given extremely good feedback. We’re offering those who ring up to ask about the progress of their social security or child support appeal the option of tracking their case online and getting text alerts in real time – testing a system which we can later expand to cover all types of cases. We’ve also started the development of the ‘online court’, which will genuinely transform access to justice, and put us in the international vanguard. The first step is the development of a system for issuing and responding to civil money claims online; that’s also been launched for trial use by real people, on real disputes, over the summer; and the test version for legal professional users is also now live. We’ll add the facility for people to seek and reach agreement with each other through the system next.
- In June, we launched – not as a pilot, but as a full system available to anyone – a tax appeals service that allows people to lodge their appeal online. So far we’ve seen over 2,300 people use the online appeals service, with almost 700 appeals made – very rapid take up in just three months.
- We’re also changing the way we support these new systems, and help people use them. For example, we are bringing together all our telephone-answering on divorce in Loughborough – the new set-up is already handling around 700 calls a day, answering well and promptly (currently within around ten seconds). Staff are using a new phone system that – unlike our old one – allows for easier feedback, training, and links between what’s being discussed on the phone and what advisers can see about a case on their screens. We’re doing something similar with telephone support for the Single Justice Service.
- Finally, jurors summoned for Preston Crown Court are the first in England and Wales to be able to respond online. Jurors can respond on a phone, tablet or computer (and of course there is still a paper route available for those that want it). It’s early days but it looks as though – not all that surprisingly – we’re getting better and faster responses having given some easier ways to reply.
In summary – we have been busy. We’ve done far more than most people expected in what has, in truth, been less than a year of full running of the reform programme. Great credit is due to those who work in courts and tribunals every day who have helped design, test, and test again the new systems and ways of working. Our thoughtful, committed judicial partners have also been close to every bit of this - and we are also grateful to the many hundreds of litigants, applicants, jurors, legal professionals and others with whom we tested early versions well before these much wider ‘beta’ versions.
At the start of our reform programme we set ourselves a stretching list of things to have done by September 2017; and we are doing extremely well against that list. But, of course, this is still just the start. There’s more work to do on each of the things we are testing now; and we are also standing up new projects all the time (including the work on scheduling and listing I mentioned in my most recent blog; and work on family law trailed in the messages sent out about e-filing and e-bundling). The next set of projects are in many ways more complex than the first set; and need wider dialogue and engagement to be delivered well. In my next blog, I’ll talk more about what’s coming next, and how those affected by the changes can get involved.
[English] - [Cymraeg]
Rydym yn diwygio – ac yn dechrau gwneud gwahaniaeth
Wrth i mi deithio o amgylch ein llysoedd a’n canolfannau tribiwnlys, ni fyddaf yn cwrdd â llawer o bobl sy’n gweithio yn y system cyfiawnder sy’n anghytuno â’r farn gyffredinol bod angen i ni newid.
Does fawr neb yn amau y dylem fod yn cefnu ar systemau papur, costus, lle mae’n hawdd gwneud camgymeriadau ac sy’n cymryd cymaint o’n hamser, ac yn mabwysiadu rhai digidol, y dylem fod yn gwneud gwell defnydd o eiddo GLlTEM, neu y dylem fod yn datblygu cyfarpar ar-lein newydd sy’n caniatáu i bobl gael mynediad at gyfiawnder yn gyflymach ac yn rhwyddach.
Ond mae pobl yn aml yn mynegi pryderon a fyddwn ni’n gallu cyflawni’r hyn yr oeddem wedi dweud y byddem yn ei wneud ac a fydd ein diwygiadau’n cael eu gweithredu’n dda, ac a fyddent yn gweithio’n effeithiol. Mae llawer yn cyfeirio (ac nid heb reswm) at broblemau TG cyfiawnder troseddol neu fwy cyffredinol y Llywodraeth yn y gorffennol fel enghreifftiau o’r hyn all ddigwydd.
Felly, yn dilyn fy mlog yr wythnos ddiwethaf a oedd yn disgrifio pa ddiwygiadau sydd eu hangen a pham y mae angen i ni wneud mwy i ymgysylltu a siarad mwy am yr hyn rydym yn ei wneud, rwyf am ddefnyddio’r erthygl hon i ddweud ychydig yn rhagor am ein hymagwedd tuag ar ddiwygio, a’r hyn ydym wedi’i wneud hyd yma.
Yn gyntaf, rydym wedi gwneud llawer o’r pethau y dylai unrhyw brosiect llwyddiannus eu gwneud. Rwyf yn ffodus bod gennyf dîm o uwch staff o’r radd flaenau sy’n cynnwys arbenigwyr medrus, rhai ohonynt â phrofiad hir o weithio â GLlTEM, gydag eraill wedi dod o rannau eraill o Whitehall neu du hwnt. Rydym hefyd yn cynllunio ein gwaith yn ofalus ac yn profi ein parodrwydd ein hunain yn rheolaidd (mae gen i siartiau o gerrig milltir, llwybrau critigol a mapiau dibyniaeth ar fy waliau - prosesau sicrwydd ffurfiol sy’n llywio ein gwaith).
Ond rydym hefyd yn gwneud rhai pethau mewn ffordd gwbl wahanol i’r hen fathau o brosiectau Llywodraeth. Yn bwysicach na dim, rydym yn mabwysiadu ymagwedd ‘hyblyg’ tuag at ddatblygiad digidol. Mae hyn yn golygu adeiladau cydrannau bach yn gyflym a’u rhoi ar brawf yn y byd go iawn, ac yn eu hailadrodd a’u gwella mewn ymateb i adborth fel bod y systemau’n gweithio’n effeithiol i’r bobl sy’n eu defnyddio.
Mae’n ddull sy’n helpu i sicrhau cydbwysedd rhwng gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn ddigon radical wrth fanteisio ar y cyfle i wneud pethau’n wahanol, a hefyd sicrhau ein bod yn ymgysylltu ac yn gwrando ar y sawl sydd â’r arbenigedd, yr wybodaeth a’r profiad i wneud yn siŵr ei fod yn gweithio’n ymarferol.
Dyma’r math o ddull sydd wedi nodweddu newidiadau TG mwyaf diweddar (a mwyaf llwyddiannus y Llywodraeth – fel y system i wneud cais ar-lein am eich pasbort. Mae hefyd yn golygu ein bod am gael eich adborth – cymaint â phosibl – ar y fersiynau cynnar o’r pethau rydym yn eu datblygu, fel y gallwn eu gwneud yn well. Byddwn yn cyflwyno mwy o gyfleoedd uniongyrchol i weithwyr cyfreithiol proffesiynol ac eraill i roi adborth, ac i gael ymatebion ystyrlon gennym ninnau.
Yr anfantais fwyaf yw bod y fersiwn gyntaf o rywbeth – y ‘cynnyrch hyfyw lleiaf’, yn ôl y jargon – yn gallu bod yn siomedig o’i gymharu â’r nod yn y pen draw. Er enghraifft, ein fersiwn gynnar o’r gwasanaeth ysgariad cynnar yn ‘argraffu a phostio’ – yn union fel y gwasanaeth gwneud cais am basbort pan gafodd ei lansio gyntaf. Efallai nad yw hyn yn teimlo’n arbennig o radical na digidol, ond mae dechrau’n gyflym ac ar raddfa fach yn gadael i ni brofi pethau fel sut allwn ni wneud cwestiynau’n ddealladwy i bobl, a lleihau nifer y camgymeriadau maent yn eu gwneud cyn ychwanegu’r cam nesaf; ac mae’n ein galluogi i adeiladu darnau; rhai y gallwn wedyn eu defnyddio nifer o weithiau (er enghraifft, ein system ‘olrhain fy apêl’, sy’n cael ei threialu ar gyfer apeliadau nawdd cymdeithasol, fydd y sail ar gyfer systemau i olrhain pob math o achosion yn rhwydd). Mae hefyd yn cael gwared ar y risg y byddwn yn creu anghenfil mawr diwerth sy’n berffaith ar bapur ond na fydd yn gweithio ar ôl iddo gael ei ryddhau i’r byd mawr.
Ond y gwneud yn hytrach na’r dweud sy’n bwysig bob amser – felly yn hytrach na chymryd mwy o ofod i ddisgrifio ein dulliau gweithio, dyma rai enghreifftiau o’r pethau rydym wedi’u gwneud hyd yma sydd (yn fy marn i, beth bynnag) yn dechrau rhoi enw da i ni ac yn ennyn hyder.
- Mae System Achosion Digidol Llys y Goron wedi gwneud bywyd gwaith staff llysoedd, barnwyr ac adfocadau yn llawer haws, ac mae wedi rhoi gwedd fwy eglur ar y system, sy’n golygu llai o gamgymeriadau ac oedi. Rwyf yn clywed awgrymiadau ar gyfer gwelliannau (mae gwaith i ddelio â sawl achos ar droed) ond nid wyf eto wedi cwrdd â neb sy’n meddwl bod bywyd yn well hebddi.
- Mae diwifr yn y llysoedd troseddol yn awr yn gwasanaethu o leiaf 55,000 o ddefnyddwyr cyfreithiol, gan eu helpu i wneud eu gwaith yn well. Ar ddiwedd 2016, cafodd diwifr ei ymestyn i fannau sifil, teulu a thribiwnlys 45 o lysoedd cyfun ac rydym yn awr yn ei gyflwyno ym mhob Llys Sifil a Theulu a Thribiwnlysoedd, ar led band uchel iawn. Roedd Help i dalu Ffioedd angen ffurflen bapur hir a chymhleth, sydd yn awr wedi ei disodli gan wasanaeth ar-lein a ddatblygwyd gyda’r defnyddiwr mewn golwg. Rydym wedi symleiddio’r hyn a ofynnir, ac wedi cyfnewid gwahoddiad i anfon llawer o dystiolaeth ar bapur gyda dolen awtomatig at y DWP i wirio cymhwysedd am fudd-dal. Rydym wedi mynd o gyfradd wrthod o 80% (yn bennaf am fod yr hen ffurflen gymhleth mor anodd i’w llenwi’n gywir) i gyfradd o tuag 20%, ac rydym wedi arbed £1m. Mae’n enghraifft wych o sut y gall trywydd digidol wedi’i ddylunio’n dda (gyda fersiwn bapur ar gyfer y sawl sydd ei angen) wella mynediad at gyfiawnder, hyd yn oed i bobl a all fod yn agored iawn i niwed. Roedd 87% o ddefnyddwyr wedi rhoi sgôr “da” neu “da iawn” i’r system.
- Yn y flwyddyn hyd Ebrill, roeddem wedi gwario tua £46m ar gynnal a chadw ein hadeiladau, a dros £20m ar atgyweirio a gwelliannau, weithiau i helpu i newid yr adeiladau rydym yn eu defnyddio - er enghraifft, moderneiddio hen adeilad llys ynadon yn Havant i greu’r Havant Justice Centre newydd. Rydym hefyd wedi uwchraddio rhai o’r ystafell plant a'r mannau i ddioddefwyr a thystion i wneud yn siŵr eu bod yn fwy cartrefol a chroesawgar, ac wedi gosod safon i eraill ei dilyn yn y dyfodol. Lle’r ydym wedi gwerthu adeiladau, rydym wedi gwneud yn siŵr ein bod yn cael bargen dda fel bod gennym arian i’w fuddsoddi mewn adeiladau eraill - rydym wedi codi llawer mwy na’r hyn a obeithiwyd ar y dechrau trwy’r gwerthiannau hyd yma. Rydym yn defnyddio peth o’r arian ar gyfer cynlluniau ail-fuddsoddi mawr, fel yr un yn Newcastle, lle’r ydym yn gweithio â’r awdurdod lleol i ddatblygu canolfan gyfreithiol newydd, sydd wedi’i chynllunio’n bwrpasol a fydd yn ein galluogi i ddod â sawl adeilad at ei gilydd mewn un. Rydym hefyd yn gweithio’n galetach â’n cyflenwyr i gael gwaith cynnal a chadw i weithio’n iawn, ac ydym yn newid ein rheolau mewnol ein hunain fel y gellir trwsio pethau syml yn gyflymach, gyda llai o fiwrocratiaeth.
- Mae’r Rhaglen Platfform Cyffredin yn creu system sy’n gweithio o ddechrau i ddiwedd y broses ar gyfer troseddau ac sy'n uno’r Heddlu, Gwasanaeth Erlyn y Goron a GLlTEM. Er ei bod wedi dechrau’n arafach nag y bydden wedi’i hoffi, mae pethau wedi cyflymu erbyn hyn. Rydym wedi dechrau cyflwyno “Digital Mark-Up” ym mhob llys ynadon. Erbyn diwedd yr wythnos hon bydd yn weithredol mewn 41 o lysoedd. Mae hyn yn galluogi cynghorwyr cyfreithiol i gofnodi canlyniad y rhan fwyaf o achosion yn uniongyrchol yn y llys (yn hytrach na gorfod ysgrifennu â llaw ar ffeil bapur yn y llys, a throsglwyddo’r papur i dîm gweinyddol i gofnodi’r canlyniad yn ddiweddarach trwy ei deipio i’r system. Rydym wedi lansio system yn llwyddiannus sy’n dod ag achosion osgoi talu am docynnau Transport for London yn uniongyrchol i’n systemau, sy’n galluogi ynadon i ddelio â hwy’n gyflym iawn, a’u cofnodi’n awtomatig. Rydym yn awr yn delio â 350 o achosion yr wythnos yn gyfan gwbl drwy’r system hon, a byddwn yn ychwanegu achosion trwyddedau teledu a’r DVLA, a bydd hynny’n cael ei ddilyn gan erlyniadau’r heddlu am bethau fel goryrru.
- Yn fwy sylfaenol, mae fersiwn ddigidol gyntaf y ‘prif’ Blatfform Cyffredin - system ddi-dor sy’n cael ei rhannu rhwng yr Heddlu, Gwasanaeth Erlyn y Goron a GLlTEM - yn awr yn weithredol i ddefnyddwyr yr heddlu a Gwasanaeth Erlyn y Goron ym Mersi - Swydd Gaer. Mae rhan gyntaf y system yn caniatáu mynediad uniongyrchol i Wasanaeth Erlyn y Goron i’r holl ddeunydd sydd ei angen i adolygu achos ac i wneud penderfyniad cychwynnol ar-lein. Bydd yr ail fersiwn yr wythnos hon yn galluogi achosion i symud ymlaen i gamau cyntaf proses y llysoedd. Mae wedi bod yn ddegawd a mwy ers i mi fod yn rhan o drafodaethau ar y math hwn o system, felly mae’n braf iawn ei gweld yn dechrau cael ei defnyddio mewn achosion go iawn. Os hoffech chi gael gwybod mwy, neu rannu eich barn â ni, bydd cyfres o sesiynau ymgysylltu wyneb yn wyneb ar y Platfform Cyffredin yn cael eu cynnal mewn llysoedd ar hyd a lled y wlad.
- Mae ceisiadau ar-lein am ysgariad a phrofiant yn cael eu treialu â defnyddwyr go iawn, sydd wedi rhoi adborth positif dros ben. Rydym yn cynnig yr opsiwn i’r sawl sy’n ffonio i holi am gynnydd eu hapêl yn erbyn penderfyniad nawdd cymdeithasol neu gynnal plant i olrhain eu hachos ar-lein a chael hysbysiadau ar ffurf negeseuon testun mewn amser real - sy’n treialu system y gallwn ei hehangu’n ddiweddarach i gynnwys pob math o achosion. Rydym hefyd wedi dechrau datblygu ‘llys ar-lein’, a fydd yn arwain at drawsnewid mynediad at gyfiawnder, a’n gwneud yn arloeswyr rhyngwladol. Y cam cyntaf yw datblygu system i gyhoeddi ac ymateb i hawliadau arian sifil ar-lein; mae hynny hefyd wedi cael ei lansio i’w dreialu gan bobl go iawn, mewn anghydfodau ar-lein, yn ystod yr haf, ac mae’r fersiwn brawf ar gyfer gweithwyr cyfreithiol proffesiynol hefyd wedi cael ei lansio. Y cam nesaf fydd ychwanegu cyfleuster a fydd yn galluogi pobl i ddod i gytundeb â’i gilydd trwy’r system.
- Ym mis Mehefin, cafodd system lawn ar lansio gennym – nid fel peilot – sydd ar gael i bawb – gwasanaeth apeliadau treth sy’n galluogi pobl i gyflwyno’u hapêl ar-lein. Hyd yma mae dros 2,300 o bobl wedi defnyddio’r gwasanaeth apelio ar-lein, gyda bron i 700 o apeliadau wedi’u gwneud – nifer calonogol iawn mewn dim ond tri mis.
- Rydym hefyd yn newid y ffordd o gynnig cymorth ar gyfer y gwasanaethau hyn, a helpu pobl i’w defnyddio. Er enghraifft, rydym yn dwyn ynghyd ein holl wasanaeth atebion dros y ffôn ar ysgariad yn Loughborough - mae’r drefn newydd eisoes yn delio â thua 700 o alwadau’r dydd, gan ateb yn dda ac yn gyflym (o fewn tua deng eiliad ar hyn o bryd). Mae staff yn defnyddio system ffôn newydd sydd - yn wahanol i’r hen un - yn galluogi adborth, hyfforddiant rhwyddach, a chysylltiadau rhwng yr hyn sy’n cael ei drafod dros y ffôn a’r hyn y gall cynghorwyr ei weld am achos ar eu sgriniau. Rydym yn gwneud rhywbeth tebyg â chymorth dros y ffôn ar gyfer y Gwasanaeth Cyfiawnder Sengl.
- Yn olaf, rheithwyr sy’n cael gwŷs i Lys y Goron Preston yw’r cyntaf yng Nghymru a Lloegr i allu ymateb ar-lein. Gall rheithwyr ymateb ar y ffôn, llechen neu gyfrifiadur (ac wrth gwrs gall y sawl sy’n dymuno gwneud hynny ymateb ar system bapur). Dyddiau cynnar yw hi o hyd ond mae’n ymddangos – ac nid yw hynny’n syndod – ein bod yn cael ymatebion gwell a chyflymach trwy gynnig ffyrdd haws o ymateb.
Mewn geiriau eraill– rydym wedi bod yn brysur. Rydym wedi gwneud llawer mwy nag yr oedd y rhan fwyaf wedi’i ddisgwyl o fewn llai na blwyddyn o weithredu’r rhaglen lawn o ddiwygiadau. Rhaid canmol y rhai hynny sy’n gweithio mewn llysoedd a thribiwnlysoedd bob dydd sydd wedi ein helpu i ddylunio, profi, a phrofi unwaith eto’r systemau newydd a ffyrdd o weithio. Mae ein partneriaid meddylgar ac ymroddgar yn y farnwriaeth hefyd wedi bod mewn cysylltiad clos â phob agwedd ar hyn, ac rydym yn ddiolchgar hefyd i’r cannoedd o ymgyfreithwyr, ymgeiswyr, rheithwyr, gweithwyr cyfreithiol proffesiynol ac eraill sydd wedi bod yn profi’r fersiynau cynnar ymhell cyn y fersiynau ‘beta’ llawer ehangach.
Ar ddechrau ein rhaglen o ddiwygiadau, lluniwyd rhestr gennym o’r pethau i’w cwblhau erbyn Medi 2017; ac rydym wedi gwneud yn eithriadol o dda. Ond, dim ond y dechrau yw hyn, wrth gwrs. Mae rhagor o waith i’w wneud ar bob un o’r pethau rydym yn eu profi ar hyn o bryd; ac rydym hefyd yn sefydlu prosiectau newydd drwy’r amser (gan gynnwys y gwaith ar restru a chofrestru y soniais amdano mewn blog diweddar; a’r gwaith ar y gyfraith teulu a dreialwyd yn y negeseuon a anfonwyd am e-lenwi ac e-fwndelu. Mae’r set nesaf o brosiectau’n fwy cymhleth mewn nifer o ffyrdd na’r set gyntaf; a bydd angen deialog ac ymgysylltu eang. Yn fy mlog nesaf byddaf yn sôn am yr hyn sy’n dod nesaf, a sut y gall y rhai a effeithir gymryd rhan yn y broses.
3 comments
Comment by Paul Apreda posted on
We at Families Need Fathers are delighted to hear about the extensive modernisation of the delivery of Justice across a number of areas. We welcome these excellent initiatives including the opportunity to engage in detail with senior Policy teams to raise the issues that our thousands of service users across England and Wales bring to us in Private Family Law. We have taken up the invitation to work collaboratively on the digital re-design of the C100 application form and are discussing options already with service users to help HMCTS, and welcome any other opportunity to help improve access to justice. Keep up the excellent progress.
Comment by Michael Robinson posted on
I'm not so sure that the digital system is really so much better than a paper based system because there are problems with digital files not being available or accessible.
I also feel that DMU in theory is a great idea but using Court legal advisers to do this job wastes time in Court. Depending on the case it can take 50 minutes although usually about 10-15. It would make more sense if there was someone else in Court to do the marking up thus freeing the Court legal adviser and the Court to get on with Court work. True efficiency isn't always about making one person fulfill multiple roles.
The underlying problem is HMCTS won't speak to Solicitors or other frontline staff directly. Also you view citizens as consumers and therefore try to run the Courts acccordingly. This doesn't work and won't work. You seem to value what suits HMCTS best as more important than access to justice hence the re-organisation of Court sittings in Northumbria which has all the hallmarks of a dog's breakfast which has been recently regurgitated. The consultation process was a sham. The centralised listing process operated in Northumbria which you have hailed as a success fails on so many levels that only the person who dreamt it up can believe it is a "success".
Instead of using existing Court buildings on a daily basis to allow citizens proper access to speedy justice the buildings spend too long half-or even more so-empty on most days with a rush of cases one day a week.
You can build as many computer systems as you like-but on the basis that access to justice is more important than the structure and processes of the service which purports to deliver it then on many levels justice is denied by the very service that should be assuring access to it.
I wonder if the current state of the justice system has shown a marked increase in user satisfaction in the justice system or do they still see it as shambolic, distant, sausage-machine like and slow?
It takes far too long from charge to trial and that is because there are not enough sittings which is a matter of funding as opposed to IT systems.
Comment by Morwenna Macro posted on
Great. Looking forward to Wi-Fi in all civil courts. Small changes can make a real impact.