Tag Archives: Ministry of Justice

Online Court Plans: now you see them – now you don’t

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Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), responsible for court administration in England and Wales, pays considerable attention to public presentation of its online court modernisation programme, which it boasts as the most ambitious in the world. The previous blog  questioned its somewhat relentless optimism. Now, we discover (credit here for Legal Futures that first raised this) … Continue reading Online Court Plans: now you see them – now you don’t →

Online Courts: identifying and evaluating the impact on access to justice

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The Online Courts programme for England and Wales has, once again, come under informed criticism by a Parliamentary Committee. This time it is Public Accounts. Its damning criticisms echo those of the National Audit Office reported in May and the headline comment was: ‘We have little confidence that HMCTS [Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service] … Continue reading Online Courts: identifying and evaluating the impact on access to justice →

Assistance with digital ODR: singing from one songsheeet

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Two recently published reports discuss the degree and nature of assistance that users require in dealing with ODR provision within the official court process. Both relate to the proposals in England and Wales for an online court system, particularly in relation to small claims. One is from the advocacy group, JUSTICE and entitled Preventing Digital … Continue reading Assistance with digital ODR: singing from one songsheeet →

The Legal Aid Review in England and Wales: Four Starters

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The legal aid cuts implemented by the Coalition Government in 2012 through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASP)) were severe. Their prime aim was intended to ‘make significant savings to the cost of the scheme’.  And they did – reducing expenditure by about a third. Now the Ministry of Justice … Continue reading The Legal Aid Review in England and Wales: Four Starters →

Online Courts: More Doubts in High Places

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This is an shortened version of a letter to: Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice Ministry of Justice from Bob Neill MP, conservative MP and chair of the House of Commons Justice Committee. It indicates the growing level of concern at the online proposals; the court sales necessary to fund them; and the … Continue reading Online Courts: More Doubts in High Places →