The Public Accounts Committee has published its report into the Court Reform Programme expressing serious concerns that HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has underestimated the scale and complexity of reforms leading to stress amongst staff.
Commenting, Nick Vineall KC, Chair of the Bar Council, said:
“The Public Accounts Committee’s criticisms of the Court Reform Programme echo the experiences we hear from barristers, especially in relation to Common Platform. To date, the programme has not delivered on its promise of saving time and costs. In some cases, the introduction of Common Platform has slowed the system down, reducing court capacity.
“Looking forward there needs to be a culture shift at HMCTS which leads to earlier and better engagement with those who will actually use the new systems, and that includes barristers.
“We all have a shared interest in making Common Platform a success and we will continue to engage constructively with HMCTS to try to make this long overdue system work properly.”