Recommendation 8

When we examined the programme in 2019, we were concerned that many stakeholders did not feel listened to, undermining trust in the reforms. We highlighted 7 Qq 28, 86, 105; C&AG’s Report, paras 1.9, Figure 3 8 Q 24; Letter from Nick Goodwin, Chief Executive HM Courts and Tribunals to Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of Committee of Public Accounts, 17 March 2023 9 Q 27 10 Qq 28, 105 11 Q 33; Committee of Public Accounts, Transforming courts and tribunals: progress review, Second Report of Session 2019, HC 27, 5 November 2019, paras 4; Committee of Public accounts, Oral evidence: Ministry of Justice Recall, HC 1190, 11 February 2021, Pages 13–14 12 Qq 33–34; C&AG’s Report, para 2.6 and Figure 2 13 Qq 27–34, 85- 86; Letter from Nick Goodwin, Chief Executive HM Courts and Tribunals to Dame Meg Hillier MP, Chair of Committee of Public Accounts, 17 March 2023 Progress on the courts and tribunals reform programme 11 HMCTS risked undermining public confidence by proceeding with reforms without sufficiently demonstrating that it understood the impact on people or on justice outcomes. We recommended that HMCTS should change its approach to engaging with stakeholders from broadcasting information to genuinely listening and responding to feedback.14 In its response to our report, HMCTS recognised the crucial role that stakeholders play in the design of the reformed services to the success of the programme. It accepted that it needed to do more to engage with stakeholders and ensure that it was listening to their views.15