News story

Crime news: CRM14 eForms available across London

Providers across London are now able to use eForms for criminal legal aid applications.

Roll-out of the online CRM14 eForm has been completed in the capital with the addition of Magistrates’ Courts in London central and south on 24 November 2014.

This has been done along with the transfer of responsibility for processing legal aid applications to the Legal Aid Agency.

Arrangements for different courts

You can use the link below to see a full list of the Magistrates’ Courts affected in London and where to send your applications.

Training

Online training is available on how to use the CRM14 eForm and a training link can also be found below.

Wi-fi in selected courts

A number of London courts now have access to temporary wi-fi networks to allow criminal justice system (CJS) practitioners to access our eForms portal in court buildings.

The new networks have been established in response to provider feedback and will be available at these locations:

  • City of Westminster
  • Camberwell Green
  • Hammersmith
  • Thames
  • Highbury Corner (to be installed week beginning 24 November)

It means providers are able to connect to wi-fi on laptops, tablets or mobile phones to complete and submit CRM14 eForms at court.

How do I start using MiFi?

Providers will need to email the Crime Change Programme to request passwords for the sites where they wish to make use of the new networks – see contact details below.

They will also need to include details of all colleagues in the firm they will share the passwords with.

The network is a private one solely for CJS Practitioners and is only for the submission of the CRM14 eForm and using Criminal Justice Secure eMail (CJSM).

How does the system work?

It works by converting mobile phone signals to provide a wi-fi connection in the solicitors’ rooms of court buildings using a mobile wireless router known as MiFi.

This is a temporary solution pending the HMCTS professional court user wi-fi to be rolled out under the CJS efficiency programme.

This will eventually equip courts permanently with wi-fi across England and Wales.

Other areas benefiting from MiFi

As well as London, MiFi is being used to give providers wi-fi access in the following locations:

Staffordshire

  • Newcastle-under-Lyme (North Staffordshire)

Yorkshire

  • Leeds
  • Sheffield

Merseyside and Cheshire

  • Runcorn
  • Liverpool
  • Wirral
  • Chester

East Midlands

  • Nottingham
  • Derby
  • Leicester

West Midlands

  • Coventry
  • Wolverhampton
  • Sandwell (Warley)

Further information

Courts and processing London PDF – list of courts and transfer dates

WebEx online training – to book training on CRM14 eForm

Email – to request passwords for sites you wish to access

Criminal legal aid processing: applications and digital systems

Praise for CRM14 eForms in crime provider survey – news story with provider feedback

Contract signing launches installation of wi-fi in courts – news story about CJS efficiency programme

Interactive maps showing professional court user-wi-fi sites

Updates to this page

Published 24 November 2014