Inside HMCTS

Improvements to victim and witness rooms

Liz Olney, 22 August 2017 - Civil, Crime, Family, User experience and research

A blog post from Liz Olney, Deputy Director for Customer Change and Innovation at HMCTS. Liz shares our recent work to transform our victim and witness rooms. We see over 156,000 individuals coming to court to give evidence each year and rely on evidence provided by victims and witnesses to support the carriage of justice. It’s important we provide the best environment so that individuals can present their cases well.

Making a plea online for traffic offences has got easier

Katie Dean, 17 August 2017 - Crime, Digital services

A blog post from Katie Dean, HMCTS Service Manager for the Make a Plea service for traffic offences, which completed national roll out earlier this year. In this blog post Katie talks about how all members of the public charged with summary-only non-imprisonable motoring offences are given the opportunity to submit their plea online, instead of by post.

How remote working will give users and courts greater flexibility

Fiona Rutherford, 10 August 2017 - Civil, Court and tribunal reform, Crime, Digital services, Family

A blog post from Fiona Rutherford, which discusses the implementation of remote working, specifically virtual hearings. Fiona talks about the opportunities (and responsibility) presented by the ‘once in a generation’ £1 billion investment in our courts and tribunals. This work will re-shape how we enable access to the justice system and how we deliver our reformed public services in the future.

Ensuring our justice system fits the needs of those it serves

Susan Acland-Hood, 21 July 2017 - Civil, Court and tribunal reform, Crime, User experience and research

A blog from Susan Acland-Hood, the Chief Executive of HM Courts and Tribunals Service about looking at options to use court and tribunal buildings in a more flexible way, letting people have their cases heard outside the current traditional 10am to 4:30pm court day.

Online Courts Hackathon

Kevin Gallagher, 13 July 2017 - Court and tribunal reform, Digital services

A blog post from Kevin Gallagher, Head of the Digital Change Directorate who was one of the judges for the Online Courts Hackathon event co-hosted by the Society for Computers and Law, Legal Geek, the Judiciary of England and Wales and HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

New digital probate service

Paul Downer, 4 July 2017 - Digital services, Family

A blog post from Paul Downer, Service Manager at HMCTS with responsibility for delivering a new online probate service. Paul discusses how we will transform the probate service to introduce a new online application form for personal applicants and solicitors.

Transforming Civil Justice – an update on the civil money claims procedure

Clare Galloway, 30 June 2017 - Civil, Digital services

A blog post from Clare Galloway, Service Manager for the Civil Money Claims project. Claire provides an update on how we are developing a new digital service for lower value money claims which will provide a simple process for individuals and businesses to resolve disputes. This service will use a mix of technology, conciliation and judicial resolution allowing users to resolve money claim disputes in a simple, accessible and proportionate way.

Revolutionising summary justice – an update on the Single Justice Procedure

Mike Logan, 16 June 2017 - Crime, Digital services

A blog post from Mike Logan who works in the HM Courts and Tribunals’ Development Directorate. Mike shares an update on the implementation of the Single Justice Procedure, which is the means by which work is processed within the Single Justice Service.

Working with stakeholders to develop an online divorce service

Adam Lennon, 11 April 2017 - Digital services, Family

A blog post from Adam Lennon, Divorce Service Manager at HMCTS. Adam talks about how we are working with stakeholders to develop and an online divorce service and shares details of a workshop with legal practitioners that demonstrated the latest version of the online divorce service called ‘Apply for a divorce’.

Digital defence: Liverpool Law Courts research results

Leanne Galbraith, 6 April 2017 - Crime, Digital services

A blog post from Leanne Galbraith detailing results from Criminal Justice System Common Platform Programme research sessions for defence practitioners held at Liverpool QEII Law Courts on 25 January 2017. The sessions tested the designs of the hearing result screens and hearing events.

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