GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES ON-LINE CLAIMS PILOT SCHEME

INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC SERVICES: Court Service runs pilot for small businesses to make claims on the Internet

Solicitors, consumers and small businesses can from this week make claims over the Internet to recover money after the government launched its Money Claim Online pilot scheme.The Court Service-run scheme allows for claims for fixed amounts of less than 100,000, and will shortly be extended to allow larger law firms to process claims.Claims can be against no more than two people, and users cannot be on legal aid.After registering with the new secure Web site, developed by EDS and EzGov, claimants create a user ID and password which they will need to use each time they log on.They then type in the name and address of the person who owes them money, the amount owed, and details of their claim, such as the goods and services provided and invoice numbers.The court fee will then be calculated automatically - a 27 minimum - which must be paid by credit or debit card.

A statement of truth must be 'signed' by the user typing their name before the claim can be submitted.The claim is then sent electronically to the County Court Bulk Centre in Northampton for issue in the name of Northampton County Court, usually on the same day the claim is made.Claimants will be provided with a claim number to allow them to check the progress of their claim on-line, for example, to see whether the defendant has filed a defence.

They can also enter judgment and apply for a warrant of execution over the Internet.As with the current system, defendants receive the claim and response pack by post and will have 14 days to respond.

They can file an acknowledgement of service or defence on-line, but a part or full admission of a claim still has to be filed by post.

If the claim is defended, it will be transferred to the defendant's local county court for trial (or to the claimant's if the defendant is a business).In 2000, more than 1.6 million money claims were made, but only 36,000 debt claims made it to court.Court Service chief executive Ian Magee said: 'The launch of the Money Claim Online pilot is the Court Service's first step into interactive electronic services...

We expect to have 25,000 claims made using the new on-line service by the end of this year.

It will be quicker and easier to use for parties - and will take some pressure off court staff too.

'Later in the year, the on-line service will be extended to larger solicitors' firms who have their own case management systems and to provide a fuller on-line service for defendants.' This will effectively give solicitors direct access to the system.

Rather than having to re-enter all the details into Money Claims, solicitors will be able to generate their claims automatically.Chris Knuckey, a solicitor at Manchester firm Cobbetts commented: 'Although it is encouraging to see that the Court Service is embracing technology, it will be interesting to see how problems such as security and reliability are addressed.

It seems wholly possible that we will see a raft of applications to set judgments aside based on allegations of computer failure.'Lord Justice Brooke, the judge in charge of modernisation, said: 'The judges welcome the launch of this new service for claimants.

Our wish is that it should eventually be made easier for both claimants and defendants to communicate electronically with the courts.

This is an important step down that road.'The scheme cost 1.8 million for design and development, and 206,170 for project costs.

There will also be a yearly service charge of 885,000.

Operational staffing costs to support the pilot project are approximately 48,000.LINKS: www.courtservice.gov.uk/mcolNeil Rose