CEO of HMCTS, with responsibility for delivering its major modernisation programme. Tweets from me and my office. For updates and enquiries, go to
@HMCTSgovuk
.
@EssexBarrister
Hello Ms Wilson, I‘m very sorry about your experience at court yesterday – it is totally unacceptable behaviour and I’m investigating the role of my staff and contractors as a matter of urgency. This is not the behaviour anyone should expect 1/2
@EssexBarrister
and certainly does not reflect our values. Please would you send me further details by direct message so that I can provide a fuller response. 2/2
I’ve clapped for critical workers tonight to show my appreciation for their hard work, particularly for the NHS but also for the amazing HMCTS staff & the judiciary who have kept the justice system moving in recent weeks. Thanks so much for everything you do!
#JusticeHeroes
@MsRebeccaTuck
Please can the person this happened to get in touch with me? This shouldn’t have happened and I will make sure we investigate and it doesn’t happen again.
@BarristerSecret
@RobertBuckland
SB - the LC can’t confirm this yet because final list not published yet - but rest assured I have made the point that we can’t say courts are essential and then not do this for those who work in them (including lawyers attending court, and jurors)
Sir Jeremy Heywood - mentor, friend, inspiration, and unparalleled servant of his country. His death is a personal and national loss that is hard to compass. But it was a privilege to have known him, and his deeds - and the example of unfailing high standards he set - live on.
Delighted to join the talented and dedicated
@HMCTSgovuk
team today.
It’s a privilege to follow in Kevin’s footsteps and lead our organisation as we continue to improve our excellent justice system.
I look forward to meeting colleagues across the country in the coming months.
Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean our work stops. I’d like to thank our staff, the judiciary, legal professionals, partners & contractors across the justice system working to make sure services are there for people who need them 🎅
#HappyChristmas
#JusticeMatters
I welcome today’s announcement from
@MOJgovuk
. It sees an additional £105m allocated to
@HMCTSgovuk
on top of the £48m already announced (£153m total) to invest in our court & tribunal estate this year. £37m also made available to invest in tech
I believe passionately that we need a justice system that leads and inspires the world. Our
#justice
system is an integral part of modern society – our
#CourtReform
programme is making the system work better by giving people new routes to justice.
#JusticeWeek2020
Happy Christmas from all of us here at HMCTS – and thank you to all those who are working hard over Christmas, especially in the magistrates’ and family courts
#HappyChristmas
@BarristerSecret
Thanks for raising this. It doesn’t seem quite right & I’m happy to look into it. It could be because we are continuing to summon jurors many weeks in advance, & will consider closer to the time exactly how many are needed & the detailed arrangements, 1/2
Huge thanks to all the HMCTS staff, the judiciary, legal professionals & all our justice system partners & contractors who are working hard over Christmas & New Year to ensure those who need the justice system can still access it. Thank you for your commitment & dedication.
I’m talking about
#CourtReform
on tonight’s
@BBCRadio4
’s ‘Unreliable Evidence’ at 8pm. Hosted by Clive Anderson, panellists include the Rt. Hon Master of the Rolls Sir Terence Etherton,
@richardsusskind
,
@westcrct
and Professor Dame Hazel Genn:
I’m pleased we’ve announced that our new Cloud Video Platform (CVP) for video hearings will be rolled out to all Mags’ & Crown Courts over the next few months so criminal hearings can be held remotely due to the
#coronavirus
pandemic
Ahead of my retirement I want to say a final thank you to everyone who continues to contribute to justice across our service and beyond.
I know
@HMCTSgovuk
is in safe hands with our new CEO Nick Goodwin and I will always remain a supporter of better justice from afar.
1/2
A real pleasure to be able to recognise the outstanding work being done across the length and breadth of HMCTS at today’s remote National Staff Awards Ceremony. My congratulations go to all the winners & to everyone who was nominated, your hard work & dedication is invaluable.
@BarristerSecret
@RobertBuckland
@DHSCgovuk
@PHE_uk
@hmpps
It is our policy that no-one should attend court if they have the symptoms described in the PHE guidance. For defendants in custody we work with HMPPS, who are also taking care and certainly will not send cell mates of confirmed COVID cases to court.
@BarristerSecret
based on personal circs & public health guidance. If you/they DM their details, we can look into this & will respond to them directly. 2/2
I’m thankful to all those involved who have helped to make this possible. This is an important next step for us as we continuously adapt to the new ways of working and continue to ensure that everyone who requires the justice system has access to it.
16 courts & tribunals will reopen this week so more socially distanced hearings can take place.
They join the 159 buildings that have remained open during the
#coronavirus
pandemic, helping the justice system continue to function.
More:
Very proud of the work we are doing to make difficult times easier. We used to send back 40% of divorce paper forms because they were hard to understand and people made mistakes; the figure is under 5% for the new, simpler digital system.
Brilliant to see our Bolton Nightingale court at the
@OfficialBWFC
ground featured on this morning’s
@GMB
.
I was delighted to hear one of our first users yesterday was “very impressed” with the “excellent” facilities. Well done all at
@HMCTSgovuk
and
@BoltonWhitesHtl
The home of Bolton Wanderers has been transformed into a temporary ‘Nightingale Court’.
@NickdixonITV
reports how the relationship works for the football club and the criminal justice system.
It’s a measure to work through the backlog of cases from the pandemic.
Great to see the excellent work done to create the Nightingale Court at Prospero House. A great Covid secure environment enabling bail trials to progress so that colleagues in Southwark can concentrate on custody cases. Thanks to London team for all their incredibly hard work.
Yesterday my senior management team and I visited Snaresbrook Crown Court and took part in the
@QGCanopy
tree planting initiative, helping improve the sustainability of our estate.
I'm no Alan Titchmarsh, but it's great to see we have so many keen gardeners amongst the group!
I'm pleased to announce that we're adding 5 new courts to our professional users' access scheme today. More courts will be added throughout the year - you can find more details in my latest blog
@thebarcouncil
#SaferCourts
Congratulations to
@SusanAclandHood
on being formally appointed as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education. I will continue in the role of Acting Chief Executive of HMCTS.
#DeafAwarenessWeek
is a chance to understand more about the experiences of deaf people.
Some of you will already know that I’ve been deaf for most of my life.
Put simply, being deaf is being me.
1/3
A fantastic afternoon celebrating some of the wonderful work of
@HMCTSgovuk
staff.
My congratulations again to all the winners and nominees. Whatever your role, your work and dedication has been essential to keeping justice going throughout the pandemic.
#HMCTSAwards
Happy International Women’s Day! Lots of great stuff going
on in HMCTS today (where 72% of us are women) using the
#pressforprogress
campaign to start conversations about really being gender inclusive and
challenging unconscious bias in all we do
#IWD2018
@CourtLift
@SCTScourtstribs
Dear Reading County Court Lift - I am sorry it has taken us longer than it should have to fix you, but I am glad the work is well underway (the engineer is on site, working on you). He is due to finish at the end of May - I am checking that this is still on track...
I was honoured to officially open our new service centre in Salford yesterday. Thanks to each and every one of my co-workers for their unfaltering resilience to make this possible. Collectively we've achieved something great that is making a real difference to our users.
Everyone who uses our service, and everyone who works for HMCTS, deserves a modern court estate. This is your chance to help shape our
#CourtReform
transformation – improving access to justice for everyone. We’re listening – share your views.
As part of the transformation of our justice system, we’ve launched a series of public consultations about the HM Courts & Tribunals Service estate. Find out more:
#CourtReform
From my HMCTS colleagues to our justice system partners and all the legal professionals working day in day out to deliver a system that works for everyone who needs it -
Thank you. Your work is invaluable.
All the best.
2/2
A real pleasure meeting colleagues across the UK. Seeing in person the valuable work done by the RCJ Criminal Appeals Team last week and yesterday joining the tribunals team in Scotland. Thank you to all HMCTS teams working so hard to keep justice going.
Another milestone in our modernisation of courts and tribunals. Digital divorce application is now live on – just one way we’re making access to justice easier for all:
#CourtReform
Today,
@MOJGovUK
@AntoniaRomeoUK
announced the new
@HMCTSgovuk
Chief Executive - Nick Goodwin.
Delighted to welcome Nick from
@OPGGovUK
. Leading HMCTS has been an absolute privilege and I know Nick has the same view. Congratulations!
Enjoyed my visit on Friday to Cambridge Mags’, County & Crown Courts. All working hard to recover performance while keeping users safe. Mags’ Court back to pre-covid workload levels and Crown to soon see a third jury trial room. My thanks to everyone for their incredible work.
Sir Ernest Ryder brilliant closing
#OnlineCourtsForum18
- thank you to all our incredible contributors, and here’s to keeping the conversations going
@richardsusskind
Today I made my final visit as Acting CEO.
I met colleagues at Derby Combined Court and Justice Centre.
As a Foxes fan, Derby isn’t always a popular place, but it was great to meet everyone and thank them for their hard work in keeping justice going during the pandemic. 1/3
I’d like to thank our staff, the judiciary, legal professionals and our justice system partners and contractors who are working over Christmas & New Year to make sure our courts and tribunals are open for those who need them 🎄
#HappyChristmas
#JusticeMatters
I’d like to thank our staff, the judiciary, legal professionals and our justice system partners and contractors who are working over Christmas & New Year to make sure our courts and tribunals are open for those who need them 🎄
#HappyChristmas
#JusticeMatters
Fantastic to meet some of the nominees before
#HMCTSAwards
today.
Thank you to all of my
@HMCTSgovuk
colleagues who go the extra mile to support people in our justice system, often at the most challenging time in their lives.
Thank you for all you do!
It was a busy first week for me at
@HMCTSgovuk
.
I’m getting up to speed with colleagues and meeting partners from across the justice system.
On Friday I completed my first site visit as CEO to the Royal Courts of Justice. 1/2
I want to thank
@NatalieByrom
wholeheartedly for her hard work & dedication in delivering this report. I welcome her findings & recommendations, which will be crucial in informing how we continue to create, manage & apply data to underpin the
#CourtReform
programme.
We welcome today’s report from
@NatalieByrom
– her findings and recommendations will be crucial to informing how we will continue to create, manage and apply data in delivering access to justice for all
#CourtReform
@The_LEF
I'm delighted to be attending our national staff awards at the Royal Courts of Justice.
It's been a very different and challenging time since the last
@HMCTSgovuk
awards ceremony here. I'm glad we're able to recognise the work of our nominees and winners today.
#HMCTSAwards
Yesterday marked my first 100 days as
@HMCTSgovuk
CEO. Time has absolutely flown by.
Alongside getting to grips with the job I've really enjoyed getting out and about. My team tell me I've already travelled around 1771 miles so far and I hope to add more in future months. 1/3
I’m looking forward to the next stage of my life and helping my successor take up the reins as best I can. Until then, I remain committed to the important work of the courts and tribunals. 2/2
I was very sad indeed to hear the news of Diane’s death – a much-loved part of the HMCTS Liverpool family, even after her retirement, and a real reminder that often those who work with us as contractors are central to what we do and how we do it. 1/2
Very pleased to announce plans for an additional 14 Nightingale courtrooms to help increase capacity to hear more trials. My thanks go to all involved who continue to make this work possible.
Turning buildings like hotels and conference centres into
#NightingaleCourts
means we can keep justice moving during the
#COVID19
pandemic.
Find out more about 14 additional courtrooms opening across the country and a new 'super courtroom'.
⬇️
Delighted that
@HMCTSgovuk
to receive additional £15m this year to improve maintenance & security of our court buildings. Welcome news to all who use & work in our courts
#Budget2018
My colleagues in Manchester have worked incredibly hard to make the opening of our first ever 'super courtroom' a reality.
This milestone will make a significant contribution to more victims, defendants and witnesses obtaining faster access to justice. Well done to all involved.
What makes a super courtroom “super”?
At three times the size of a usual courtroom, it can hold complex trials with up to 12 defendants.
👀 Watch to find out more from Paul who helped create the first super courtroom in Manchester.
👇 Read more here:
Enjoyed a virtual visit to Leicester courts and offices this morning. New Portakabin in use for juries and great work everywhere in supporting video working. Enormous commitment to getting work done in difficult circumstances from both staff and judiciary. Thanks to all involved.
Great to visit courts in Guildford today and hear from staff and judiciary. Particularly liked the new scheme to invite knitters to make teddies to give to child witnesses to make their court day easier. Anyone who knits, feel free to join in and send us a bear..
Today is
#TimeToTalkDay
. Sometimes we say we’re fine, when really we’re not. No one should feel ashamed of a mental health problem; help
#EndtheStigma
by making conversation about mental health.
@TimetoChange
Enjoyed visiting Croydon Mags’ & Combined Courts on Friday. Saw video tech in action, work to keep everyone safe whilst maximising capacity & new staff (part of 1600 recruited nationwide) & thanked all staff & judiciary for their hard work in keeping our essential services going.
My thoughts on our crime reform event at Bristol Magistrates’ Court this evening. Thanks to everyone who came along and gave their opinions
#CourtReform
@Garcia_L_J
@Twanieka
@MichaelPolakLaw
@HMCTSgovuk
@TheCriminalBar
I have seen the many tweets that say there is a particular issue at Wimbledon - and that the way the rules are being applied there is an issue - and am taking it up. We’re also going to send some wider reminders and have a security campaign centred on respect - coming soon.
I’m pleased to report that
@HMCTSgovuk
Courts and Tribunals Service Centres have opened in
#StokeOnTrent
&
#Birmingham
. These centres bring together expertise in managing cases, making it easier & quicker to get support when accessing justice
#CourtReform
Congratulations to all those working on our Divorce project - nominated for a Civil Service Award tonight and just pipped to the post by gov.notify (whose services we also use)
#csawards
We celebrated some of the outstanding work within HMCTS at today’s National Awards ceremony.
It’s fantastic to see so many colleagues in attendance and joining our live stream virtually online.
#HMCTSAwards
1/2
I’m glad to say
@CourtLift
is now fixed - we’re sorry it took longer than expected. We know how frustrating it can be when lifts don’t work. Out of more than 900 lifts across the court estate, there are at present 23 out of order. 1/3
Delighted to virtually attend the official opening of Newcastle Civil and Family Courts and Tribunals Centre today. This is a great achievement for our staff whose incredible work has helped to deliver this project on time, to budget and under extremely trying circumstances.
@StephenLeonard6
@adamhpking
Stephen - sorry you don’t see me reply as often as you’d like - I do try to be actively listening on here. Shoes shouldn’t have been confiscated and I’ll sort this incident and we’ll also do some more work with security on how they apply their discretion.
It was an honour to be at Jeremy Heywood’s memorial service today. The greatest public servant of the age; remarkable tributes from all the Prime Ministers he served.
@BarristerSecret
@CrimeLineLaw
I will have a word - I entirely appreciate that there are better ways of trying to keep robing rooms tidy, and that this tone isn’t right. (SB - we do penalise contractors who deliver prisoners late, though - and the new contracts tighten that up further, too)
Enjoyed my virtual visits to Plymouth and Torquay yesterday morning. I’m hugely encouraged to see the enthusiasm, positivity and commitment from all my colleagues across both sites. My thanks to you all for your warm welcome and continuous hard work.
Really exciting to see another ‘super courtroom’ launched today in Loughborough. Judging by Manchester’s success in facilitating multi-hander trials this latest venue will provide vital capacity for the Midlands region and ensure large scale cases can be effectively heard. 1/2
Our new 'super courtroom' has opened in Loughborough giving us the ability to facilitate larger trials involving multiple defendants.
The 'super courtroom' will create the space needed to hear these trials and free up capacity elsewhere in the justice system.
Find out more⬇️
I am delighted to welcome the
@lccsa
,
@CrimeSolicitors
&
@cpsuk
into our professional users’ access scheme & would like to pass on my huge thanks to all those involved, including
@TheLawSociety
, in working with HMCTS to make this happen.