Simply and Speedy Justice
Delivering a speedier service with simpler processes is key to the improvements the London Criminal Justice Board wants to make to ensure that Londoners receive an efficient and effective service from all the criminal justice agencies. Over bureaucratic and slow processes can deter people from attending court and impacts on the public confidence of the system overall.
During the next three years, we will continue to build on learning developed through pilot initiatives undertaken in 2007-08. These include:
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Streamlined Process (SP) has the potential to release police time savings by producing more proportionate files. We piloted the process in four London boroughs during 2007-08 and the learning has formed a national project for delivery.
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Virtual Court was successfully prototyped at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court in summer 2007. It used video conferencing technology to link police stations to courts supported by the electronic transfer of case-file information and demonstrated the potential to hold first hearings within 2/3 hours of charge. London is a pilot for a national model, which aims to link more police stations and thereby increasing the volume of cases heard through the virtual courts.
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Integrated Prosecution Teams (IPT) bring together the pre-trial and case build functions of the Police and Crown Prosecution Service in order to reduce duplication, whilst improving performance by use of a single file and administrative process.
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Criminal Justice: Simple, Speedy, Summary (CJSSS) Youth will support youth case preparation from the point the offender is charged to ensure that the majority of first time hearings are effective and that there is better management for cases that need to go to trial.
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Bichard 7 will improve both the speed and accuracy of the entry of court results onto the Police National Computer.