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1. Introduction

A summary of the discussion of the Strategic Engagement Group (StratEG) meeting held on 14 July 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 (reps) received an update from each jurisdiction, including the impact of the pandemic on project delivery, and presentations from the Civil Reform and Family and Public Law teams.

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp jurisdictional update outlined the work done to assess the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) period on Reform projects. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp impact is split into five categories: resource reallocation, pace of delivery, operational readiness, training and transition and external dependencies. Reps were advised of changes to rollout and delivery plans for certain projects, roughly delayed by around about three months each, but were pleased to hear this would not affect the overall length of the Reform project. Reps felt that the plans were sensible.

A future hearings update detailed work done to ensure more parties can be accommodated within the video hearings service and how the next focus will be on compatibility with iPad and later with Android devices. (This discussion was with reference to the Reform programme’s video hearings project, not the CVP system rolled out in response to COVID.) »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp group was told about the new Scheduling and Listing tool, Case HQ, and the meetings with the suppliers to configure the new tool. Reps will be given opportunities to engage and provide their thoughts in the future, which they welcomed.

For crime, reps were advised that early adopter courts will test Common Platform before subsequent roll-out to all criminal courts over 12 months. Early adopter sites would provide important feedback from those who use it and asked the group to encourage their members who use the platform to give their feedback.

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Bar raised the need to be able to use the system to properly claim for Legal Aid fees and hoped functionality could be added to the platform to assist with this.

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp civil update informed members that Online Civil Money Claims work would now move to the Courts and Tribunals Service Centre (CTSC)in July, the April date having been pushed back due to redeployment of staff during the COVID response. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Personal Injury service has been opened up further and now has 2503 users signed up across 378 firms, from the 10 firms from when it started. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp Bar offered to put their Personal Injury professionals in touch with the civil team to see how they can assist.

For divorce and financial remedy, the group were told that the system has worked well throughout the pandemic as the system was largely digital before the crisis »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappy were advised of the next steps and plans to make improvements to the legally represented service. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp team are keen to increase the number of legal professionals using the online service before it becomes mandated at the end of August. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappre has been a lotof engagement and signposting about this already

In tribunals, Social Security and Child Support (“SSCS�) digital update continues to grow and ‘submit your appeal� is now over 80% digital. CE filing work is in the final testing phase now that it is back up and running and in Immigration and Asylum Chamber (“IAC�) there will be a new practice statement for the processing of appeals.

3. Presentations from reform projects

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp group were given a live demonstration from the civil team taking them through the screens for the progressing of a claim once a defendant responds to it, through to it being sent to a Legal Advisor for decision, hearing that of all of the claims progressed this way, none of the orders made have been changed by a judge. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp reps were impressed by the system.

A presentation to provide updates on the family, public law and adoption work told the group that the next set of Designated Family Judge (“DFJâ€�) areas were ready to move forward with the new rollout plan from September. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp team have been using the lockdown period to improve the elements which will be rolled out and have added more orders to the system, using feedback from those who have used it to do so.

4. Next meeting

»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp next meeting is scheduled for 25 August 2020 with a presentation due from MyHMCTS, with others to confirm.

Caroline Olaiya
Head of Strategic Stakeholder Relations
Chair of StratEG