Review of Efficiency in Criminal Proceedings in United Kingdom

Sir Brian Leveson’s Review of Efficiency in Criminal Proceedings

The recommendations from the Review of Efficiency in Criminal Proceedings carried out by Sir
Brian Leveson, published in January 2015, are wide-ranging – and challenge the criminal justice
system to be more radical in the use of digitally-enabled approaches. The HM Courts and Tribunals Service has begun work with the judiciary and criminal justice system partners on planning a programme of work, linking with existing initiatives, to address the need for progress in the short and longer-term, balanced against the effective use of available resources.

In February 2014 new local Judicial Business Groups (JBGs) were created. These Judicial Business Groups are responsible for ensuring appropriate local arrangements are in place for the conduct of the judicial business of the area, and to ensure there is regular consultation with the HM Courts and Tribunals Service Cluster Managers around the operation of the courts. The Judicial Business Groups provide a forum for the judiciary and the HM Courts and Tribunals Service to come together to consider, and better ensure national initiatives, such as Transforming Summary Justice, are implemented in a way that is consistent and complementary to their local requirements.

The HM Courts and Tribunals Service has increased the use of video technology. The
number of prison to court video links went from 53,487 hearings in 2013 to 72,201 hearings in
2014 reducing the number of prisoner movements. The HM Courts and Tribunals Service has also been testing alternative video solutions in the courts around internet based video services, and providing more opportunities for civilian and police witnesses to give evidence via video links, including from abroad. For example in September 2014 arrangements were made for a video link to an internet-enabled conference room in Basra for use by the Iraqi Judicial Investigation.