Morning all,

HMCTS slipped in a ‘reminder’ to this week’s message* that we have to log in to CP and sign in for court hearings. Anyone who has signed in to get IDPC knows this is often a slow and frustrating process. There has been no consultation on this and we have not been asked to agree or comment on this cumbersome admin work.  Had they asked our opinion we would have told them that, unlike the Crown Court, we have not given adequate work spaces in a robing room to do this.  In the Crown courts two terminals are set up for this and the process takes less than 30 seconds.  If they give us proper spaces and stop shunting us into broom cupboards we might be willing to do it. 

Please don’t sign in to CP hearings.  You will still have to complete chits of paper and tell the usher anyway.  The usher could easily sign us in if they were issued a tablet.

 

 

*Reminder: Defence solicitors and barristers attending court for a Common Platform hearing should use the professional check-in feature, in both the Crown and magistrates’ courts. Watch our video guide to find out more. If you experience issues, please let the court usher or clerk know and they can assist. Checking in does not remove the need to communicate with court ushers regarding your case.

 

Kind regards,

 

Mark Troman

 

From: HM Courts & Tribunals Service <HMCTS@public.govdelivery.com>
Sent: 18 April 2022 17:02
To: Mark Troman <MarkTroman@psplaw.co.uk>
Subject: HMCTS Weekly Operational Update - Week commencing Monday 18 April 2022

 

 

Image removed by sender. HMCTS weekly operational update

HMCTS operational summary for week commencing Monday 18 April 2022

Next week’s update will be issued on Friday 22 April 2022.

Crime

  • Reminder: Common Platform is now live in 11 additional criminal courts in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. Read more about the system and continuous improvements we’re making in our latest blog. All criminal defence firms and chambers working at courts in these counties need to register their legal practitioners for Common Platform user accounts if they have not already done so. In addition, defence practitioners need to activate their accounts before attending court.
  • Reminder: We revised and updated our guidance for defence professionals on how to use Common Platform.
  • Reminder: We also published new guidance for organisational administrators at legal firms and chambers on creating Common Platform user accounts, assigning roles, and other system tasks.
  • Reminder: Defence solicitors and barristers attending court for a Common Platform hearing should use the professional check-in feature, in both the Crown and magistrates’ courts. Watch our video guide to find out more. If you experience issues, please let the court usher or clerk know and they can assist. Checking in does not remove the need to communicate with court ushers regarding your case.
  • Reminder: If you have a Common Platform account, you need to login at least once every 90 days to keep it active. If your account is inactive for 90 days, it will be deregistered for security reasons. You will receive an automatic email notifying you before your account is deregistered: login to the system, and your account will remain live.

Civil

Family

  • Updated: We hosted a webinar for legal professionals to demonstrate our new online divorce service. A recording of the session is now available to watch on our YouTube channel.
  • Reminder: Our updated online divorce service went live on Wednesday 6 April 2022. The service includes changes as a result of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, which reforms the legal requirements and process for divorce.

Judicial guidance and announcements

 

 

This email was sent to marktroman@psplaw.co.uk by: HM Courts & Tribunals Service · 102 Petty France · Westminster, London · SW1H 9AJ

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