Common Platform: a modern digital case management system for the criminal justice system
Common Platform is a bespoke digital case management system, designed and developed by HMCTS, for the Crown and magistrates’ courts in England and Wales.
It has brought together a range of different ‘legacy’ case management systems used in the criminal justice system under a single, unified platform.
Before Common Platform, our people and partners faced significant daily challenges:
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High volumes of physical documents using hours of court time to manually handle
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Significant cost to the taxpayer of printing and transporting paper between agencies, causing delays and inefficiencies throughout the justice system.
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Need for legal advisers and court clerks to manually record and process actions after the hearing, slowing access to justice down further for victims, defendants and witnesses
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Delays and inefficiencies in completing daily tasks like booking interpreters, requesting screens, or processing court orders required multiple manual steps across different systems, causing delay and inefficiency
Benefits
Over 2.3 million criminal cases have been managed on Common Platform as of February 2025 (source Reformed Services Management Information, March 2025), meaning a number of benefits for the people and parties involved
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The right people involved in a case can access the right, up to date information at any time of day or night
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Users and agencies receive notifications and real time updates to the case instantly
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Automation of manual processes mean quicker progress, reduced chance of error and better use of expertise
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Information and data is kept and shared safely through controls over who can see what based on their role
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Greater resilience as HMCTS teams and external parties can access cases from any location, ensuring service continuity even if even if they cannot physically be on site at a court
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Quicker processing and uploading through automated case management, particularly for Single Justice Procedure cases
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Greater efficiency by eliminating some paper-based processes
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Better data collection to inform improvements
By developing the system in-house, we have strengthened our expertise and have greater flexibility to adapt the system to changing needs and technological developments.
Case Management Evolution
The implementation of Common Platform into all Crown and magistrates’ courts has transformed how cases are managed in criminal courts: over 2.3 million cases managed through the system (source Reformed Services Management Information, March 2025), demonstrates its robust capability , demonstrates its robust capability
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single system replacing multiple outdated platforms, reduces complexity and training needs
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real-time case updates across all agencies, significantly reduces delays in information sharing
Our Digital Transformation
The journey to modernise our criminal courts began in 2011, with Common Platform representing the most significant technological transformation in the justice system’s history. Under the Reform Programme from 2016, we faced the challenge of replacing multiple outdated systems that weren’t communicating with each other.
It has been very challenging to introduce such a significant change:
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Teams across HMCTS had to adapt to new roles and ways of working while managing existing caseloads
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The pandemic was especially challenging, as court personnel managed dual systems in live courtrooms
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We did not always get it right, initially focusing too heavily on technical solutions rather than user experience
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We did not deliver everything we set out to – for example Crown Prosecution Service case management systems interface with Common Platform, rather than being a direct part of it as originally planned
This has been valuable learning and helped shape our approach. By placing users at the heart of development and using their feedback to directly inform plans, we have still achieved a lot.
Digital Documentation
The move to digital processes has transformed how documents are handled and shared:
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Defence advocates can complete crucial forms digitally in real-time, saving court time and reducing errors
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Self-service access for case materials, allowing users more control
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Automatic generation of notices, orders and warrants, speeding up justice delivery
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Digital submission of documents, cutting costs and environmental impact
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Seamless transfer of materials between magistrates’ and Crown Courts, reducing delays
Automated Processing
Reform has introduced significant automation to streamline court processes:
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Automated Track Case Management (ATCM) for Single Justice Procedure (SJP) cases, increasing efficiency
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Instant case creation and updates, eliminating manual data entry
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Automatic notifications to relevant parties, improving communication flow
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Electronic monitoring forms processed immediately, reducing processing time from hours to minutes
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Screen requests handled automatically, ensuring courtroom readiness
Better Information Sharing
The digital system has revolutionised information sharing between justice partners:
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Instant result notifications to police forces, enabling swift action
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Direct updates to the Legal Aid Agency, speeding up payments to advocates
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Immediate sharing of sentencing information with prisons and probation, improving offender management
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Role-based access ensuring secure information sharing, maintaining data protection
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Single point of contact through Courts and Tribunals Service Centres (CTSC), providing consistent support
System Performance
The platform has demonstrated significant improvements in efficiency and user satisfaction:
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Criminal courts across England and Wales now fully digital since August 2023, modernising justice delivery
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Defence practitioners can access case information instantly, improving preparation time
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Court personnel report significant time savings through automated processes
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positive feedback from judiciary, legal professionals and court personnel (January 2025)
This transformation represents a fundamental, technological change in the criminal courts moving all information digitally onto a shared system that all stakeholders can access, creating a more efficient, accessible and resilient justice system for all.
Working Together
We worked closely with:
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local police forces on rollout and delivery – police prosecutors are now able to upload direct to the system and self-serve
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CPS, who were a founding partner on setting up the system, improving their access to digital forms and requests
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All criminal justice system partners
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non police prosecutors (NPPs) - NPPs are now able to upload direct on to the system and self-serve
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Legal Aid Agency – ensuring defence advocates are paid swiftly for legal aid cases
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Courts and Tribunals Service Centres to offer best support and advice with ongoing cases to all stakeholders
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HM Prisons and Probation Service improving offender management, as they previously did not have access to the Libra legacy system
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Magistrates, legal advisers and judiciary as a vital partner at all levels to deliver a more streamlined system
Getting Support
We’ve established comprehensive support systems:
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dedicated Courts and Tribunals Service Centre (CTSC) providing customer support
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specialised training programmes for court personnel and system users
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regular system updates based on user feedback
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technical support available for all professional users
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service boards to monitor live performance and system changes
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permanent change function to prioritise and resource future improvements
Feedback and Insights
Users across the justice system have praised the new platform:
We have better oversight of cases, the triage process ensures that cases are listed appropriately and in the correct court, which means we are saving court time.
Sharon Kostanjsek, Criminal Justice Unit Manager, Avon and Somerset Police
Dealing with a case on a single system, rather than at least 3 different systems as we did previously, is more practical and efficient.
Jon Sugden, legal adviser
I like that producing orders is far simpler, now they are created directly from the result. There is no need to produce orders manually and email them or complete a lengthy electronic monitoring form.
Mark Whiteley, formerly Wales transformation implementer
Future Plans
As we continue to develop the platform, we’re focusing on:
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enhanced data analytics capabilities, enabling evidence-based improvements
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further automation opportunities to continue increasing efficiency
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maintaining system flexibility to adapt to future needs
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continue developing new features based on user feedback
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transfer of system responsibility to HMCTS live service teams by March 2025
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