The Xhibit computer network will be rolled out to 101 Crown Courts and criminal justice agencies across England and Wales, it was revealed last month.

The £20 million project run by the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and technology supplier EDS was piloted at Snaresbrook Crown Court in 2004. It allows individuals to track court hearings on-line through the Internet, through text messaging or a pager. Public display screens in court will feature the status of the latest case.


The DCA hopes that it will mean victims and witnesses spend less time waiting to give evidence, estimating that it will save 80,000 police days every year.


Courts minister Chris Leslie said: 'Giving evidence in court can sometimes involve an unpredictable waiting time, but this Xhibit technology now means witnesses will be more in touch with the tracking of their case. It is [also] a practical measure that will make it easier for victims under great pressure.'


The system also means that the police national computer will receive information from Crown Courts such as case results, bail orders and bench warrants more quickly.



The Snaresbrook pilot won an award for best team effort in the Justice Awards, which were organised by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform and the DCA (see [2004] Gazette, 4 November, 10).



Meanwhile, Wood Green Crown Court has become the 100th court in England and Wales to adopt the LINK technology project. LINK provides Crown Courts with modern desktop IT and e-mail systems. It also allows lawyers to send electronic documents to court.