Single Justice Service What is the Single Justice

Single Justice Service What is the Single Justice Service? The Single Justice Service (SJS) deals with simple, low-level cases, most of which only result in a financial penalty. All parties involved in an SJS case will be able to use services on the Common Platform to process cases. The Common Platform is a case management system which will provide more transparency, consistency and faster processing. In addition, defendants will be able to access support, improving customer satisfaction. Key Points: • Cases will progress faster and reduce the use of paper, forms, duplication and delay. • Administrative work and time in preparing cases will reduce. • Magistrates (or legal advisers working under delegated powers) will be able to decide upon a case or refer it for a hearing in court and record outcomes of SJP decisions directly on the Common Platform. What have we done so far? • Common Platform has been used to process Transport for London Single Justice Procedure cases since April 2017. • In October we began a national rollout of Common Platform for Single Justice Procedure cases prosecuted by TV Licensing. • Courts and Tribunals Service Centre staff are now taking calls for all Non-Police prosecutions - Just under 50, 000 since January. • Pending court lists can now be viewed online at https: //www. gov. uk/guidance/singlejustice-procedure-court-lists • Creation of GOV. UK page. Information about Single Justice can be found at https: //www. gov. uk/single-justice-procedure -notices What is planned for the next twelve months? • Notification is sent instantly to the defendant, who can pay any fine and other charges online quickly and easily. • Common Platform to be rolled out to the Police and remaining Non-Police prosecutors (DVLA, DVSA, Environment Agency, Local Authorities, Natural Resources Wales, Transport Companies and TV Licensing (Wales). • We aim to deal with 850, 000 cases a year out of the courtroom, which will reduce cost and free up court time to hear more serious cases. • Courts and Tribunals Service Centre to begin taking calls for Single Justice Procedure Police prosecutions. • Prosecutors will upload cases directly and can retrieve results of high volume work. If you want to know more you can follow our blog at https: //insidehmcts. blog. gov. uk or email: changesomethingthatmatters@justice. gov. uk

Single Justice Service What is the Common Platform? It is a digital case management system for Single Justice Procedure (SJP) cases being developed by HMCTS. Allows the Prosecutor to upload cases directly, which will be dealt with in priority order at the earliest date. Advantages for the Prosecutor are: • Ability to request a withdrawal of a case directly on the platform. • Ability to see if any plea has been entered as soon as it is entered. • They can see what mitigation or defence has been entered. • Ability to see results as soon as they’re made ‘in real time’. Advantages for the Defendant are: • Ability to make a plea on-line which is quicker, easier and free of charge (plea will automatically attach to the case). • The defendant does not have to wait long either to receive the results of a case or if relevant, a hearing date. (They could hear within two days of making their on-line plea. ) Common Platform is currently live for Transport for London cases and all TV Licensing cases except those in Wales. It will be extended to all other eligible prosecutors over the next year. Make a Plea and Online Plea Make a Plea is available for Police SJP cases. The digital plea rate is around 24% of all pleas received. Online Plea has been developed for the Common Platform. It is in place for Tf. L cases and TVL cases and is being rolled out to other prosecutors as they come on board. The digital plea rate is around 40% of all pleas received. Defendants’ satisfaction for the online plea process is around 73%. Single Justice Service cases are supported by staff in Courts and Tribunals Service Centres. The CTSC takes calls for all SJS cases (except at present police traffic calls). Between January 2019 and end of September, the SJS team took just under 50, 000 calls. The average waiting time for a defendant’s call to be answered is just over one minute. There is also a Welsh Language Helpline for Welsh speakers. CTSC provides information to the press and answers general queries about cases which are listed on GOV. UK. CTSCs provides digital assisted support to defendants in relation to on-line plea. An on-line list of pending SJP cases is now available on. gov. uk website. This is updated daily https: //www. gov. uk/guidance/single-justice-procedure-court-lists Courts & Tribunals Service Centres (CTSCs) Open Justice & Transparency Where can I find out the implications of a single justice case? Please visit https: //www. gov. uk/single-justice-procedure-notices