The MoJ RTA web portal continues to suffer from bad planning, implementation and a failure to consult. One legal software company has sent this communication to its clients: ‘We are pleased to announce that we can now provide Phase 1* ...The MoJ RTA web portal continues to suffer from bad planning, implementation and a failure to consult. One legal software company has sent this communication to its clients: ‘We are pleased to announce that we can now provide Phase 1* of our solution which will allow IRIS Law Enterprise, IRIS Legal Office and IRIS Evolution users to integrate using the A2A (application to application) interface with the low value RTA claim portal.

"However, at this time, it is proving impossible for us to complete phases two and three, which would see further integration with the RTA Portal. The inability of the RTA portal team to either acknowledge or answer our queries regarding the A2A interface, coupled with the numerous problems already experienced with the implementation of the A2A interface itself, has meant we have no option but to cease any further development. We now plan to leave any further development until the portal team resolve the current known issues and failings, and until they can provide a timely support service to allow us to complete the work.

We have consulted with a number of clients who are heavily involved with the RTA Portal and we are pleased to know that they wholehearted support our decision.’

The portal was forced onto claimant solicitors with effect from 30 April. Despite the scandalously short notice period, and failure to provide sufficient information, many firms undertook a great deal of work at huge expense to ready themselves for launch, only to be badly let down by those who dreamed up the process in the first place.

This is not an isolated incident, where government, its agencies, or large commercial interests who seem to have great sway over government of whatever hue (block or two-tone) raise the hoops and require the profession to jump through them - only to pull away the prize on landing.

Any thought that ‘things can only get better’ with a change of administration has probably been dashed by announcements of cuts in IT expenditure.

Brave new world anyone?

Martin Langan is a former practising solicitor and founder of Legal Workflow Limited providing services tailoring practice and case management systems and legal IT strategy and operational advice and assistance.