Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Accepted
Paragraph: 66
In-person advocate attendance often crucial for serious Crown Court cases.
Conclusion
The Committee recognises the advantages for advocates to attend remotely; however, it is important to recognise that in Crown Court cases dealing with the most serious cases, it will often be in the interests of justice for advocates to attend in person.
Government Response Summary
The government outlined its ongoing efforts to increase court capacity and efficiency, including maximizing sitting days, judicial recruitment, and increasing the use of part-time judges, without directly addressing the recommendation regarding in-person advocate attendance in Crown Court.
Paragraph Reference:
66
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
In November 2020, we published an overview of the HMCTS recovery plan for the civil and family courts and tribunals. This summarised the progress that had already been made in the family courts, as well as outlining plans and targets for further work to drive increased capacity and efficiency. This including sitting the highest possible number of siting days. The core principles set out in the November 2020 plan of maximising sitting day levels and improving the number of cases completed to manage the volume of outstanding cases continue to be at the heart of our recovery planning, and we review our progress against these ambitions on an ongoing basis. We sat to our highest ever level in the financial year 2021/22, reaching 105,944 judicial sitting days. We have also undertaken one of our most ambitious programmes of judicial recruitment ever and have made greater use of part- time judges by lifting the number of days fee-paid judges can sit from 30 days to 80. As a result, average monthly disposals in 2021 were 200 more than they were in 2020 for public family law and 1,100 more for private family law. As noted in the HMCTS Annual Report for 2020 to 2021, we have made extensive use of remote audio and video hearings as well as supporting the judiciary in prioritising and triaging cases. In the financial year 2020/21, we invested £250 million to support recovery in the courts which included £76 million to increase our capacity to hear cases in the civil and family courts, and tribunals. Over the next three financial years, we are investing a further £324 million to increase capacity in the in the civil, family and tribunal jurisdictions to continue tackling backlogs and improve timeliness. In March 2021 we launched the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme which is discussed in further detail in the response to Recommendation 21. In addition, the Family Justice Board have highlighted the need for the Board to focus on its top priorities and purpose in aiding the sector in system improvements, and have identified six immediate to medium term priorities: Private Law (1) For Government and all partners to understand and influence wider societal views on separation and the use of the courts; (2) Increasing efficiencies in the private law process; (3) Better support for local areas to scrutinise their performance challenges and share best practice. Public Law (1) Identifying ways to address cases that are in the system the longest and understanding the impact of adjournments on case duration; (2) Understanding the high number of emergency/short notice applications and the increase on previous year(s); (3) Improving practice at the pre-proceedings stage. Immediate areas of focus will be on the first priorities, reducing demand in private family law and Identifying ways to address cases that are in the system the longest and understanding the impact of adjournments on case duration. Civil and Family Courts—Family Court: mediation