Magistrates will soon be able to enter and submit the results of single justice procedure cases directly onto the case management system following pilots in London and the Midlands.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service said that magistrates who have completed relevant training will have direct access to the areas of the Common Platform system to allow them to record their own decisions without needing to wait for a court official.

Magistrates will still be advised and supported by a qualified legal professional, the announcement said. 

A close up of a man sat at a desk and typing on his laptop

Magistrates who have completed relevant training will have direct access to the Common Platform system

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HMCTS said it hopes the revised model will ‘gradually increase the number of cases which can be dealt with during each single justice procedure session’. It added: ‘It also means that legal advisers will have the capacity to deal with other responsibilities during a session when their support is not required by magistrates – although supporting magistrates will be their primary focus within each session.’

The aim is that the new model, which does not alter the rest of the process or the way in which magistrates make decisions about single justice cases, will enable up to three magistrates to work remotely with a single legal adviser.

A phased approach will see the new model rolled out in each region from the end of November.

 

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