HM Courts and Tribunals Service Board meeting – 18 July 2024
Published 20 January 2025
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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1. Attendees
1.1 Present
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Sir Richard Broadbent | Chairman |
| Lakh Jemmett | Non-Executive Member |
| Nicky Wilden | Non-Executive Member and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) Chair |
| Nick Fishwick | Non-Executive Member |
| Luisa Fulci | Non-Executive Member |
| Nick Goodwin | Chief Executive Officer (CEO) |
| Daniel Flury | Operations Director |
| Catherine Blair | Interim Chief Finance Officer |
| Louise Alexander | HR Director |
| Jerome Glass | Director General Policy, Courts & Access to Justice (MoJ) |
| Lord Justice Andrew Edis | Senior Presiding Judge (SPJ) |
| Sir Keith Lindblom | Senior President of Tribunals (SPT) |
| District Judge Tim Jenkins | Judicial Board member |
| HHJ Alison Raeside | Incoming Judicial Board member |
| Annabel Burns | Strategy, Analysis & Planning Director |
| John Laverick | Chief Digital and Information Officer |
1.2 Presenters
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ed Wagstaff | Deputy Director, Business Strategy |
| Tim Stamp | Deputy Director, Strategic Finance and Planning |
| Rupert Morgan | Property Director |
1.3 Secretariat
| Role |
|---|
| Head of Corporate Governance & Board Secretariat |
| Deputy Head of Board Secretariat |
| Head of Operational Judicial Private Offices |
1.4 Apologies
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Lord Justice Nicholas Green | Deputy Senior Presiding Judge (DSPJ) |
| Richard Price | DG Performance Strategy and Analysis (MoJ) |
2. Board minutes
The draft minutes from the meetings on 28 May 2024, 4 June 2024 and 13 June 2024 were approved and the action log was noted.
HMCTS Allocation Follow-up – Proposals for monitoring in-year FTE reductions and assumptions underlying the financial allocation
The Board reviewed the proposed metrics to monitor staff reductions enabled by the Reform programme and performance following the allocations process.
3. Post General Election report
An overview was provided of the new ministerial team, their past experience and initial observations from early interactions with them.
4. Board Effectiveness Review Follow-up
The key themes from the Board Effectiveness Review were discussed. The Board welcomed the proposal for slightly fewer but longer meetings in order to allow for more time and space for in-depth discussions. The importance of achieving a better balance between operational and strategic activities was recognised.
5. Performance and Finance Updates
The Board discussed the underlying drivers of recent data issues. The potential benefits and risks as a result of the increased level of data generated from the Reform programme were recognised.
The proposal to review HMCTS as part of the Department’s programme of public bodies reviews was noted.
The differences between the sitting days utilised in specific jurisdictions and the actual sitting days per salaried judge against assumed levels were discussed.
A report on unit costs was discussed and the updated financial position noted.
6. Getting ready for the Spending Review
In a wide-ranging discussion, the Board provided feedback and steers on the areas that could be pursued and the potential narrative that could be developed.
7. Analysis of the Maintenance Backlog
The Board discussed the updated analysis of the HMCTS estate maintenance backlog, its implications and endorsed the development of a proactive strategy.
8. Critical Friends’ Review of the Reform Programme
An overview was provided of the key themes from the independent review of the Reform programme, HMCTS’s initial response and the next steps. The Board endorsed the report and an associated action plan.