Chair’s Summary – Strategic Engagement Group Meeting 6 October 2020
Published 9 November 2020
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1. Introduction
A summary of the discussion of the Strategic Engagement Group (StratEG) meeting held on 6 October 2020. This meeting was held by video, rather than face-to-face due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Members of the Bar Council, Law Society and Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) met with the HMCTS Strategic Engagement Team and Reform project teams for the latest 6-weekly update and discussion.
2. Court reform
Representatives received an update from each jurisdiction including on the impact of the pandemic on project delivery, and presentations from the Video Hearings Service and coronavirus (COVID-19) operating hours teams. Additionally, an update on family public law was circulated to the group in advance of the meeting.
The jurisdictional update outlined the project milestones which have been adjusted due to coronavirus (COVID-19). Project milestones for probate, Common Platform early adopter roll-out, Social Security & Child Support (SSCS) case progression & evidence, Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) transition to Stoke CTSC, Scheduling and Listing (S&L) contract award and pilot have all been achieved. Timelines for Common Platform roll-out to DVLA and police has not yet been agreed. Welsh language and additional sites have been added to the private law project. SSCS project has been extended to the end of 2021. Loughborough CTSC is complete and the move into Salford CTSC was on target. Under the Portfolio Business Case 5 (PBC5) eight CTSCs had been envisaged but may now be fewer.
The update from Future Hearings advised the meeting that the Scheduling & Listing (S&L) tool was in its final stages of preparation ahead of planned testing at Oxford County Court. The next stage will be to identify other smaller sites before progressing to early adopter sites next year.
In crime, Common Platform (CP) has gone live in the first early adopter courts, Derby Crown Court, Derby Magistrates’ Court and Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court, with the first two cases completing their journey through magistrates’ and Crown Court on CP on 5 October.
The update from civil confirmed that the transition of call handling to CTSC Stoke had gone well. Work was now progressing on possession. Service users are being encouraged to seek legal advice. The project is also capturing feedback on the housing review process.
In Family, the mandation of digital consent Financial Remedy (FR) applications had gone well with positive feedback from legal professionals and service users. There had been 1,800 applications in the previous week. Financial remedy service users can use the divorce service. It was not intended to mandate this at this time.
Family public law digital service national rollout has commenced. Letters have sent to Local Authorities and legal professionals explaining process. A paper on this issue was circulated to members in advance of the meeting. Probate service is live and mandatory for legal professionals from 2 November.
The update from tribunals advised the meeting that the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC) hearings and sittings were recovering. The output was increasing and judges sitting in September. New fees and payment processes for Legal Aid will be in place in a few months. A digital facility will be available for those out of the country. Employment tribunals and hearings were also increasing and nearing the March numbers. The project is also launching the case management service.
The Video Hearings service project provided an update to the group. Video Hearings service can now support more participants at concurrent hearing and is supporting hearings in tax, property and employment tribunal. The service will replace Cloud Video Platform (CVP) across the different jurisdictions over the next few years. Guidance on how to use the service and the different processes is being developed for legal professionals and citizens and will be published on GOV.UK.
3. Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
An update was provided on coronavirus (COVID-19) operating hours. The final Flexible Operating Hours (FOH) evaluation report will be submitted to ministers soon and published following normal protocols.
Four jurisdictional working groups have been established for coronavirus (COVID-19) operating hours. The jurisdictions are currently reviewing how to address backlogs and considering various options including sitting on Saturdays.
Liverpool Crown Court has been an early adopter of a blended approach to listing using two courtrooms, one operating standard hours and another operating morning and afternoon sessions. Similar early adopter sites at Cardiff, Hull, Portsmouth, Reading, Stafford and Snaresbrook are due to finish at the end of November.
Magistrates courts are listing additional Saturday courts to include cases where generally there is less impact on stakeholders.
4. Next meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for 17 November 2020 with presentation due from the civil reform project on Unspecified Claims Service, the crime programme on Section 28, Victim and Witnesses (pre-recorded cross examination) and an update from the Scheduling and Listing project.
Caroline Olaiya
Head of Strategic Stakeholder Relations
Chair of the Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Group