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Friday 13 December 2024
A weekly round-up of the latest news and information about courts and tribunals
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The Lord Chancellor announced this week a review of criminal courts led by Sir Brian Leveson, a former Court of Appeal Judge and previous President of the Queen’s Bench Division. This follows the Ministry of Justice resuming its publication of official criminal court statistics, which indicate the outstanding caseload in the Crown Court is at its highest point.
The review will examine how the justice system can use criminal courts more efficiently to speed up access to justice. It will build on previous reviews and consider where technology can be used to drive efficiencies and improve how the Crown Court functions. It’s expected to report back with initial recommendations by Spring 2025.
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The latest report into our services includes assessments of the Single Justice Service and Immigration and Asylum First Tier Tribunal.
In addition, the report contains updates to services assessed last year - probate, divorce, Online Civil Money Claims, and the Social Security and Child Support tribunal.
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Our latest monthly management information for October 2023 to October 2024 is now available.
It includes workload volumes and timeliness at a national level for our civil and family courts, and tribunals.
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A reminder that our courts and tribunals will be closed on various dates between 25 December 2024 and 1 January 2025.
Some magistrates’ courts will be open on 26 December 2024 and 1 January 2025 for remand hearings only.
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The latest dataset about performance on activity taking place in magistrates’ courts in connection with the public disorder beginning in July 2024 is now available.
This release includes information on the number of defendants listed for a first hearing and the outcomes at that hearing.
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Citizens involved in online money claims cases at 16 early adopter civil courts in the North East, North West and Midlands can now use Case Progression features, which are already available for legal professionals. The features are available via the Civil Claims Portal on MyHMCTS.
The new features include:
- receipt of a digital hearing notice
- the ability to upload documents to the digital case file (multi-media and locked documents are currently not supported)
- payment of a hearing fee (hearing fee payments must be made via the digital case)
- the ability for a claimant citizen to apply for help with paying their hearing fees
- receipt of a dismissed notice, if the hearing fee is not paid or a Help with Fees application is not made before the hearing payment deadline
- the automated creation of a hearing or trial bundle which will be available for citizens to view and refer to at hearing or trial
- receipt of digital orders, including the final order after hearing via the digital case
- the ability for a citizen to request their order to be reconsidered in certain circumstances
- citizens will receive notifications at each stage once an action has taken place via their personal citizen dashboard
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The recent publication of the first annual report by the President of the Family Division marks ten years since the Family Court was created and is an important step in the move towards greater transparency.
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Last week members of our probate team visited Battersea Cats and Dogs Home to see how gifts left in wills enable charities to do their work.
The visit was organised by Remember a Charity, an important partner for the probate service as we work with the sector to continue to improve the service.
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The probate team are holding drop in sessions throughout December. The sessions provide an opportunity to meet the team, find out more about the service and share your feedback. Sessions are planned as follows:
- Bristol Magistrates’ Court and Tribunal Hearing Centre, 18 December 2024, midday to 2pm
- Clarence House, Newport, 19 December 2024, 10am to 12pm
For more information and to register your attendance please email NSFAMILYBMT@justice.gov.uk
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