Date set for pilot

Modernisation: Court Service spells out five-year plan

The pilot for the first hi-tech separate civil business and hearing centres is set for the end of 2002, the Court Service has said in its business plan for the next year.

The service identified further implementation of the court modernisation programme as one of its key priorities for 2002/3, following up the successful progress made so far in 2001/2.

The business plan says the programme is a five-year plan 'but we hope to make real progress with delivering the initial stages next year'.

Other activities to be completed in the next year include the implementation of an information security system compliant with British standards across the Court Service, and the provision of tools that allow authorised staff to create and maintain Web pages relevant to their areas of business.

In the service's annual report for 2001-2, chief executive Ian Magee said 'excellent progress with our long-term modernisation programme' was being made and that 'pilot projects are beginning to show our customers and staff the benefits that better use of IT can bring'.

He highlighted the success of the interactive Money Claim Online Web site, which allows claims for amounts less than 100,000 to be issued and progressed 24 hours a day, and the Xhibit project, that improves the flow of information between those involved in a criminal trial.

Mr Magee told the Gazette this week: 'Our priorities will be to begin installation of a full IT infrastructure into all Crown and Combined Courts...

and pilot new ways of administering our business.'

LINKS: www.courtservice.gov.uk

Andrew Towler