[English] - [Cymraeg]
The coronavirus outbreak has had wide-reaching consequences for everyone in society. Almost all of us have had to act and adapt quickly in uncertain and rapidly changing circumstances.
A well-functioning justice system, even during a crisis, is one of the hallmarks of a mature democracy and our heroic court staff, members of the judiciary and legal professionals have been working incredibly hard since the outbreak began to keep the wheels of justice turning.
The story so far
Last month, the government introduced emergency legislation that included rapidly expanding the availability of video and audio for hearings, and allowing the public and legal professionals to participate in court and tribunal proceedings remotely.
Before the coronavirus outbreak about a third of courtrooms and hearing rooms had access to BT MeetMe teleconferencing accounts. By the end of March, we had more than trebled that capacity, making it available universally. We’ve also started using Skype for business to allow staff and judges to run remote video hearings with users outside our network. New data published today, and reported by courts and tribunals further highlights the trend in the increasing use of audio and video in hearings.
But getting the infrastructure in place is just one side of the story and that’s why we have also published practical guidance for professional and public users on how to use audio and video technology, with the principle of open justice at its heart.
I am pleased to note that given the pace at which these measures and increased capacity have been introduced, early reports suggest that judges find the technology incredibly useful. The Lord Chief Justice commented that “in just a few weeks great strides have been made in the use of technology, which traditionally would have taken much longer”.
He quite rightly added that credit should be given to lawyers, court staff and senior court service officials and the judiciary. I would not only like to echo his sentiments but add how grateful I am to everyone for making it happen.
Our forthcoming plans
I am under no illusions that the current technology is perfect. I know there have been frustrations and it’s right that they are aired so that we can improve what’s on offer.
We are now starting to plan how we can make wider use of remote hearings.
I am pleased that today I can announce our plans to expand the use of the new cloud video platform that enables criminal hearings to be held remotely. This is a significant step change for our criminal courts and one I hope will help all those taking part in criminal hearings.
The system is being brought into use across magistrates’ and Crown courts in England and Wales and will allow criminal hearings – such as remand and sentencing hearings – to take place with all participants joining remotely, where appropriate.
As with all video hearings, the decision on whether to use it will rightly rest with a judge and it will not be used in jury trials. As with other court settings, we do expect some physical hearings to still happen, but only when there is no suitable alternative.
Work continues on our own video hearings software – the only technology purpose built for court and tribunal hearings rather than meetings. It has been designed to replicate the experience and formality of a hearing held in a court and provides judges with full control of the proceedings, supported by dedicated video hearings officers throughout.
This was developed as part of our ongoing reform programme and piloted in civil and family courts last year. With its focus on introducing digital processes to a justice system traditionally based on paper and with face-to-face interactions, the programme has helped us to confront many of the challenges during the current realities.
Coronavirus inevitably means that we are having to accelerate and scale up implementation of video and other aspects of change. We will continue to work closely and constructively with the government, the judiciary and all concerned, as well as continuing to test new arrangements to ensure they work effectively.
Making continual improvements based on feedback
I know the responses and regular feedback from legal professionals working with the technology has been of great of value and I urge you to keep providing it.
Consultations with academics and groups such as JUSTICE and the Transparency Project have also taken plan to make sure that the technology maintains access to justice and abides by the principles of open justice. Their input will help to ensure the technology can be used by people in vulnerable groups and those with accessibility requirements.
Learning from responses to the pandemic across the world
The global reach of coronavirus reminds us that while these are unprecedented times, we are not alone in what we’re trying to do.
There is much to learn from how other countries have maintained justice systems through this crisis. We recently supported the launch of the Remote Courts Worldwide website, which shares experiences of developing remote alternatives to traditional hearings.
The contributions are united in their experience of developing and adapting justice systems at pace. They act as a reminder of the huge collective effort that is being made both here and across the globe to ensure that justice is not forgotten and justice systems remain open and accessible to all.
We’re managing to achieve that here while also ensuring that our system continues to be robust and secure. Given the speed at which these changes have necessarily had to happen, I think that is a remarkable feat.
In closing let me say how grateful I am to each and every one of you – for your resilience, your patience, and your resolve to keep the wheels of justice in motion. We will come through this difficult period and when we do, I believe our courts and tribunal system will be stronger than ever.
[English] - [Cymraeg]
Defnyddio gwrandawiadau o bell i gadw cyfiawnder i fynd yn ystod y pandemig coronafeirws
Mae’r pandemig coronafeirws wedi cael effeithiau pell-gyrhaeddol ar bawb mewn cymdeithas. Mae bron pob un ohonom wedi gorfod gweithredu ac addasu yn sydyn i amgylchiadau ansicr ac sy’n newid yn sydyn.
Mae system gyfiawnder sy’n gweithio’n dda, hyd yn oed mewn argyfwng, yn un o gonglfeini democratiaeth aeddfed ac mae ein staff arwrol, aelodau o’r farnwriaeth ac ymarferwyr cyfreithiol wedi bod yn gweithio’n ofnadwy o galed ers dechrau’r lledaeniad i gadw olwynion cyfiawnder i droi.
Y stori cyn belled
Y mis diwethaf bu i’r llywodraeth gyflwyno deddfwriaeth argyfwng a oedd yn darparu ar gyfer gwneud fideo a sain yn fwy hygyrch ar gyfer gwrandawiadau, gan alluogi’r cyhoedd ac ymarferwyr cyfreithiol i gymryd rhan o bell mewn gwrandawiadau llys a thribiwnlys.
Cyn lledaeniad y coronafeirws roedd traean o ystafelloedd llys ac ystafelloedd gwrandawiadau gyda mynediad i gyfrifon telegynadledda BTMeetMe. Erbyn diwedd mis Mawrth roedd y capasiti hwn wedi treblu, ac ar gael ymhob man. Rydym hefyd wedi dechrau defnyddio Skype for Business i alluogi staff a barnwyr i redeg gwrandawiadau fideo o bell gyda defnyddwyr sydd y tu allan i’n rhwydwaith ni. Mae ystadegau newydd a gyhoeddwyd heddiw ac a gyflwynwyd gan y llysoedd a’r tribiwnlysoedd yn dangos fwyfwy y tueddiad o ran cynnydd yn nifer y gwrandawiadau clywedol a fideo.
Fodd bynnag, dim on un rhan o’r stori yw cael yr isadeiledd yn ei le a dyna pam yr ydym wedi cyhoeddi canllawiau ymarferol ar gyfer ymarferwyr a’r cyhoedd ar sut i ddefnyddio technoleg fideo a chlywedol, gyda’r egwyddor o gyfiawnder agored yn ganologi iddo.
Mae’n braf gallu dweud, er mor gyflym y bu inni gyflwyno’r mesurau hyn a chynyddu capasiti, bod adborth cychwynnol yn dangos bod barnwyr yn gweld y dechnoleg yn ddefnyddiol. Dywedodd yr Arglwydd Brif Ustus “mewn ychydig wythnosau rydym wedi cymryd camau breision mewn defnyddio technoleg, rhywbeth a fyddai fel arfer wedi cymryd llawer iawn mwy o amser”.
Ychwanegodd yn gwbl gywir y dylid talu diolch i gyfreithwyr, staff y llys, uwch swyddogion y gwasanaeth llysoedd a’r farnwriaeth. Hoffwn ategu hyn gan ychwanegu fy niolch i bawb am wneud i hyn ddigwydd.
Ein cynlluniau wrth symud ymlaen
Rwyf yn ymwybodol nad yw y dechnoleg gyfredol yn berffaith. Gwn fod rhwystredigaethau o’i gwmpas a da o beth yw eu bod yn cael eu gwyntyllu fel y gallwn wella yr hyn a gynigir.
Rydym bellach yn dechrau cynllunio sut y gallwn wneud defnydd helaethach o wrandawiadau o bell. Rwyf yn falch heddiw o fedru cyhoeddi ein cynlluniau i ymestyn y defnydd o blatfform fideo newydd a fydd yn galluogi gwrandawiadau troseddol i gael eu cynnal o bell. Mae hyn yn gam mawr ymlaen i’n llysoedd troseddol ac un dwi’n gobeithio fydd o gymorth i bawb sy’n cymryd rhan mewn gwrandawiadau troseddol.
Bydd y system yn cael ei defnyddio ar draws y llysoedd ynadon a llysoedd y Goron yng Nghymru a Lloegr. Bydd yn galluogi gwrandawiadau troseddol – megis rhai remand a gwrandawiadau dedfrydu – i gymryd lle gyda phawb yn ymuno o bell, pan fo’n briodol.
Fel gyda phob gwrandawiad fideo, bydd y penderfyniad terfynol o ran ei ddefnyddio yn nwylo’r barnwr ac ni chaiff ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer treialon rheithgor. Fel gydag amgylchiadau eraill mewn llys, rydym yn dal i ddisgwyl cynnal gwrandawiadau corfforol, ond dim ond pan nad oes dewis arall addas ar gael.
Yn y cyfamser mae’r gwaith yn mynd yn ei flaen ar ddatblygu ein meddalwedd ni ein hunain ar gyfer gwrandawiadau fideo - yr unig dechnoleg sydd wedi ei deilwra ar gyfer gwrandawiadau llys a thribiwnlys yn hytrach na chyfarfodydd. Cafodd ei gynllunio i ail-greu ffurfioldeb gwrandawiad llys a’r profiad o fod ynddo. Mae’n rhoi rheolaeth lwyr o’r gweithrediadau i’r barnwyr, gyda chymorth parod swyddogion penodol ar gyfer gwrandawiadau fideo.
Cafodd y datrysiad fideo hwn ei ddatblygu fel rhan o raglen ddiwygio GLlTEM ac fe’i treialwyd yn y llysoedd sifil a theulu yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Trwy ganolbwyntio ar gyflwyno prosesau digidol i system gyfiawnder sydd wedi dibynnu erioed ar bapur a chyswllt wyneb yn wyneb, mae’r rhaglen wedi cynorthwyo GLlTEM i ddelio gyda nifer o’r sialensau a ddaeth i’r golwg yn ystod yr argyfwng hwn.
Mae coronafeirws yn anorfod yn golygu ein bod wedi gorfod cyflymu ac uwch raddio gweithrediad fideo ac agweddau eraill o newid. Byddwn yn parhau i weithio’n agos ac adeiladol gyda’r llywodraeth, y farnwriaeth a phawb arall sy’n gysylltiedig, yn ogystal â pharhau i dreialu trefniadau newydd i sicrhau eu bod yn gweithio’n effeithiol.
Penderfyniadau ar pryd i ddefnyddio technoleg o bell
Fel a grybwyllwyd eisoes – er na allaf bwysleisio gormod ar hyn – bydd y penderfyniad ar sut y bydd gwrandawiad yn cael ei gynnal bob amser yn fater i farnwr, ynadon neu banel. Y nhw fydd y rhai yn y sefyllfa orau i benderfynu ar y ffordd orau o gynnal buddiannau cyfiawnder mewn achosion unigol.
Mater iddyn nhw fydd ystyried pethau megis natur y materion dan sylw yn ystod y gwrandawiad, ac os byddai defnyddio technoleg fideo neu glywadwy yn peri problemau i’r rhai sy’n rhan o’r gwrandawiad. Byddant hefyd yn ystyried unrhyw faterion yn ymwneud gyda mynediad y cyhoedd neu eu cyfranogiad yn y gwrandawiad.
Rydym yn dal i ddisgwyl y bydd gwrandawiadau corfforol yn cymryd lle, ond dim ond pan na fydd dewis addas arall ar gael.
Parhau i wneud gwelliannau yn seiliedig ar adborth
Rwyf yn gwybod bod yr adborth rheolaidd gan ymarferwyr cyfreithiol sy’n gweithio efo’r dechnoleg yn werthfawr iawn a hoffwn eich annog i barhau i wneud hynny.
Rydym hefyd wedi ymgynghori gydag academyddion a grwpiau megis JUSTICE a’r Transparency Project i sicrhau bod y dechnoleg yn cynnal mynediad i gyfiawnder ac yn glynu at yr egwyddorion o gyfiawnder agored. Bydd eu sylwadau yn gymorth i sicrhau bod pobl mewn grwpiau bregus a phobl gyda gofynion o ran hygyrchedd yn gallu defnyddio’r dechnoleg.
Dysgu o ymatebion ar draws y byd i’r pandemig
Mae effaith byd eang y coronafeirws yn ein hatgoffa er ein bod mewn cyfnod nas gwelwyd erioed ei fath o’r blaen, nad ydym ar ben ein hunain yn yr hyn yr ydym yn ceisio ei wneud.
Mae cryn dipyn i’w ddysgu o sut mae gwledydd eraill wedi cynnal eu systemau cyfiawnder yn ystod yr argyfwng. Yn ddiweddar bu i WLlTEM gefnogi lansio gwefan Remote Courts Worldwide sy’n rhannu profiadau datblygu ffyrdd o weithio o bell sy’n rhoi dewisiadau gwahanol i gael gwrandawiadau traddodiadol.
Mae’r cyfraniadau yn unol yn eu profiad o ddatblygu ac addasu systemau cyfiawnder ar fyrder. Maent yn ein hatgoffa o’r ymdrech enfawr ar y cyd a wneir yma ac ar draws y byd i sicrhau nad yw cyfiawnder yn cael ei esgeuluso tra bod coronafeirws yn parhau, a bod y system yn parhau’n gadarn, yn ddiogel ac yn hygyrch i bawb.
Rydym yn llwyddo i gyflawni hyn yma tra ein bod hefyd yn sicrhau bod ein system yn parhau i fod yn gadarn a diogel. O ystyried pa mor sydyn yr oedd angen gwneud hyn, dwi’n credu bod hyn wedi bod yn anhygoel.
Wrth dewi hoffwn gyfleu fy niolch i bob un ohonoch – am eich gwytnwch, eich amynedd, a’ch dyfalbarhad i gadw olwynion cyfiawnder i droi. Mi ddown trwy’r cyfnod anodd hwn a phan wnawn, credaf y bydd y system llysoedd a thribiwnlysoedd yn gryfach nag erioed.
2 comments
Comment by Charlie Cooper posted on
Susan, I am extremely pleased to hear that you are having success in promoting remote technology. It does sadden me, however, that it has taken a charity to conduct a trial of a trial (if you see what I mean?), in an attempt to convince judges of the efficiency of remote working. This efficiency argument has got to be communicated to the average customer too, (i e. the user of justice), so that the gerenal public, plantiffs and defendants request and "advocate" remote justice.
Then we would not receive comments from in this case, a victim, "I was denied justice because I could not look into the eyes of the judge."
As ever, you are doing a great job, in exteremely difficult circumstances.
Best, Charlie
Comment by Susan Acland-Hood posted on
Charlie – Thank you for your comments. I am really proud of the amazing work our teams have already been doing - using remote technology to maintain access to justice for the public during this coronavirus outbreak. You are right there is still work to do in increasing the confidence of the public and court users – we have already had some really positive feedback from many court users, both public and legal professionals, judiciary and the press and we continue to speak and engage with them about how we develop and use this technology in the future. For family courts that also includes Cafcass, social workers, independent organisations and experts such as Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and consider their evaluation and research too. One of the many strengths of the justice system is how we work in tandem with the public, our partners and experts - inviting others to comment and being open to their views helps us improve – I don’t see it as leaving it to others, but as inviting others in.