The Law Society yesterday welcomed a tacit admission by HM Courts & Tribunals Service that its courts reform programme is struggling.
In an update on the programme following a critical National Audit Office report, HMCTS chief executive Nick Goodwin wrote this week that, ‘We know that trying to change too much, too quickly has undermined confidence at times.’
After looking ‘realistically at what we can achieve and by when’, Goodwin said HMCTS had ‘adjusted certain elements of the reform programme’. These include pausing digital reform work on adoption and possession, and work on all special tribunals, apart from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal.
But Goodwin stressed that the controversial Common Platform case management system would be introduced into remaining Crown and magistrates’ courts before the summer.
Reacting to the statement, Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: ‘We are reassured to see HMCTS has listened to our and other stakeholders’ concerns in their work to modernise and redesign court services. Mistakes were made early on and HMCTS’ acknowledgement that it tried to “change too much, too quickly” should help restore some confidence in the next steps of the reform.’
