Decision details

The Committee considered a report on the digital court pilot and roll out introduced by Andrea Kilby.  

Witnesses:

Philip Baker, Assistant Chief Executive (ESCC ) and Interim Head of Orbis Public Law 

Rachel Crossley, Director of Strategy Commissioning (SCC) 

Abraham Ghebre-Ghiorgis, Executive Lead Officer, Strategy Governance and Law (BHCC)

Tony Kershaw, Director of Law and Assurance (WSCC)

Andrea Kilby, Business Development Manager (OPL)

Key Points:

1)    Andrea Kilby informed the Committee that the digital court pilot had been featured in the Law Gazette, and set out the principle features of the project in reducing the production of paper copies of documents for Family Court proceedings.  The project is live at Surrey based courts (Guildford and Staines) and is now being rolled out to the other family courts in Sussex (Brighton, Worthing, Horsham and Hastings), It was set out that the project included video link capability, to assist vulnerable witnesses.

2)    The Committee commented on the benefits to children that would result from the streamlined, more efficient court proceedings, and felt that the project should be more widely publicised.  Officers agreed to initiate further publicity through their communications teams. 

RESOLUTIONS

The Joint Committee RESOLVED to note the update and plans and congratulate Andrea Kilby and all involved in the successful pilot.