Friday, December 18, 2015

UK Courts Work to Modernize IT and Services


Thanks to Claudia Johnson, we received news of an important speech by Ms. Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive of HM Courts and Tribunal Services on modernizing courts and tribunals from the Criminal Justice Management conference.


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Her excellent address covers many initiatives that courts around the world can consider.  Three key themes of note in her presentation were:

  • "The first is that we are clear that our system needs to be built around those who use it."
  • "Secondly: our system needs to be accessible – easy to use, but digital in design."
  • "Thirdly, we need to introduce clearer proportionality into our system – while making sure that all of our services are consistently good."

Technically, Ms. Ceeney also explained that the HM Courts and Tribunal Services have been specifically working on improved Wi-Fi in the courts; enhanced displays for digital materials including video conferencing; a new online driving offense website and extended service hours to better serve the public.

Last, she concludes:
"Our courts matter. 
There are not many areas of life which matter more than justice, and our courts and tribunals provide the forum in which large numbers of disputes are resolved, and justice determined. We owe it to society, to defendants, to witnesses and victims, as well as to citizens across all walks of life, to deliver a court and tribunal Service which enables the rule of law to be upheld in a 21st century society. 
We’re committed to developing and improving our courts to do just that. It’s not just about digitising and introducing technology to streamline processes, but also about rethinking processes for today’s society. 
Doing this will, of course, reduce costs. But, far more critically, it will deliver better justice."
Hear hear!

To read the full text of the speech and a later one covering additional ideas click here and here.

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