Justice – in the House of Commons at on 16 May 2023.
John Penrose
Conservative, Weston-Super-Mare
What assessment he has made of the potential for improvements in the efficiency and economy of trial processes.
Mike Freer
Assistant Whip, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
We are committed to working closely with the judiciary and other partners to improve the efficiency of the criminal courts and family courts, and this includes the judicial-led cross-system Crown court improvement group, which improves ways of working with the Crown court. But across the whole system we are looking at increasing digitisation so that the cost of access to justice is also reduced, and that is an addition to all the measures mentioned in response to other questions to ensure the capacity of our system is robust.
John Penrose
Conservative, Weston-Super-Mare
I thank the Minister for those examples. Does he agree that those reductions in the costs, delays and complexity of resolving disputes and enforcing the law are good not just for victims and plaintiffs but for consumers and taxpayers, and are also examples of how red tape can be cut without compromising the quality of British justice? So will he keep going on this crusade, and perhaps persuade other Government Departments to apply the same energy and rigour in their portfolios?
Mike Freer
Assistant Whip, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. For instance, for online civil money claims The Times for issuing, responding and hearing dates are down to 9.4 days from 25 days, while damages claims are down from 11.4 days to one day and financial remedy consent orders are down to four weeks rather than many months, all making access to justice faster, more efficient and cheaper for those who need it.
Florence Eshalomi
Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)
On
Mike Freer
Assistant Whip, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
The hon. Lady is quite right to raise that point. The Department and the judiciary appreciate the sensitivity of such cases to ensure that the families of victims—and the victims, if they are still with us—do get their day in court so that they can see justice done as fast as possible. There can be a variety of reasons why cases are delayed. It could be about the availability of counsel, prosecutors or experts—or, in some cases, the availability of multiple defendants. I do not know the details of that case apart from it being listed for, I believe, the spring—
Alex Chalk
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
It is spring 2024.
Mike Freer
Assistant Whip, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
Spring 2024. If the hon. Lady would like to write with the details of the case, I can find out if there are specific reasons why it has been delayed. As I say, there can be a variety of reasons for that, and I am quite happy to get the details for her.
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