Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Vulnerable users and people from ethnic minority backgrounds are potentially impacted disproportionately by efforts to...
Recommendation
Vulnerable users and people from ethnic minority backgrounds are potentially impacted disproportionately by efforts to tackle the Crown Court backlog, which the Department and HMCTS have not done enough to understand. Since the start of the pandemic, HMCTS significantly increased the number of hearings held remotely using video technology. However, it only published its formal evaluation of remote hearings on 10 December 2021, nearly two years into the pandemic. The limited coverage of the experiences of those with disabilities or accessibility difficulties painted a mixed picture, which HMCTS is still reviewing. A third of people requesting reasonable adjustments felt their requests were denied. There is insufficient data on ethnicity for the Department to assess its recovery plans or the pandemic’s impact on different groups. The Department is continuing to work on improving the ethnicity data it collects. Reducing the backlog in criminal courts 7 Recommendation: In its Treasury Minute response the Department and HMCTS should set out their plans to specifically evaluate the experience of victims, witnesses and defendants—particularly those deemed vulnerable and from ethnic minority backgrounds—in criminal courts.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2024 5.2 As part of the evaluation of HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) reform, HMCTS will consider the experience of criminal court users. Field work is due to commence in line with implementation stages of the Common Platform, as it seeks to understand how reform is affecting users. Findings from the study are anticipated in Autumn 2024. 5.3 Data on criminal court users’ ethnicity and vulnerability (a subset of protected characteristic data) is primarily collected by the police which is the point of entry into the criminal justice system. HMCTS now receives a regular data feed from the police with case information and some protected characteristic data that has been completed by police officers. However, the approach to data collection varies across police force areas and does not align with the most recent harmonised standards for protected characteristics which means the department currently has a partial data set by which to identify these users and evaluate their experience. 5.4 The department is reviewing the current data it receives from the police to establish and document current gaps in the data and understand what improvements and analysis can be undertaken. Any programme to improve data standards and modelling will require a cross system mobilisation involving the Home Office and the police. 5.5 The department will be working with partners across the criminal justice system including the Home Office and the CPS on a programme of work to improve data and will consider how to incorporate recommendations on vulnerabilities and ethnic minorities as part of this wider strategy. The MOJ is also a lead partner in the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme, which is looking to tackle some of the most complex criminal justice system issues by linking data held across multiple government departments and agencies. 5.6 As referenced in the response to recommendation 6, the local criminal justice system scorecards for all crime and adult rape contain metrics which reflect the government’s priorities for the Criminal Justice System. One of these outcomes is increasing victim engagement and the department will monitor the relevant metrics, including exploring additional ones, to better understand the experience of victims from all backgrounds.