Successful e-mail pilot extended

DELAYS REDUCED: court applications completed in five days compared to norm of 23

The pioneering e-mail project in Preston which allows solicitors to issue court applications electronically has had its pilot extended indefinitely due to its success.

Preston e-mail applications (PREMA) was introduced at Preston Combined Court in February last year with the aim of allowing solicitors to issue certain applications in civil, family and insolvency cases - such as applications to disclose evidence - via e-mail (see [2001] Gazette, 12 January, 13).

District judges then considered the applications on their computers and wherever possible were able to resolve the issue without recourse to court hearings.

By reducing the need for court attendance, the scheme meant that applications were concluded - on average - within five days, compared to more than 23 under the current paper-based system.

PREMA was relaunched last month at an open evening held at the court, attended by Lord Justice Brooke, the judge in charge of court modernisation, to encourage greater take-up among local solicitors.

The scheme's success was initially hindered by the slow take-up of solicitors: in the first three months of the project, just 33 solicitors applied to take part.

This was mainly attributed to a lack of IT awareness.

However, according to a spokeswoman for the Lord Chancellor's Department, the scheme has since attracted a core of solicitor-users based in Preston who are very supportive of the project and make full use of the service.

The court also offers training courses and 'dummy runs' for firms new to the service.

Peter Meloy, senior partner of Preston firm Meloy Whittle Robinson, was enthusiastic about PREMA.

'We were one of the principal users of the scheme, and the feedback we received from clients was very positive,' he said.

'It allows us to offer a more sophisticated service which ultimately reduces delay and cost.'

The court is now looking at ways of expanding the service to other areas of the court's business, and increasing take-up among local solicitors.

The e-mail scheme was launched as part of the government's civil.justice.2000 programme, and the government aims to have it installed in every court in the country by 2006.

LINKS: www.lcd.gov.uk/cj2000

Victoria MacCallum