HM Courts and Tribunals Service Board meeting - 6 July 2022
Published 26 March 2024
Applies to England and Wales
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1. Board members present
1.1 HMCTS
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Tim Parker | Independent Chairman |
| Victoria Cochrane | Senior Independent Non-Executive Member |
| Lakh Jemmett | Non-Executive Member |
| Nick Goodwin | HMCTS Chief Executive |
| Andrew Baigent | Chief Financial Officer |
| Paul Harris | Operations Director |
| Gemma Hewison | Strategy and Change Director |
| Annabel Burns | Director, Judicial & Legal Services Policy - MoJ Rep |
| Lord Justice Keith Lindblom | Senior President of Tribunals (SPT) |
| District Judge Tim Jenkins | Judicial Board member |
| Lord Justice Charles Haddon-Cave | Senior Presiding Judge (SPJ) |
1.2 Presenters and additional attendees
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ed Wagstaff | Deputy Director, Business Strategy |
| Head of Strategy Unit | |
| Mark Stewart | Courts & Tribunals Director |
| Lisa Killham | Delivery Director for Crime (London) |
| Cluster Manager, London Crown Courts | |
| Performance/Recovery lead (London) | |
| Claire Medhurst | Deputy Director, Intelligent Client Capability |
| Head of PECS, Custodial Contracts Directorate, HMPPS | |
| Tim Stamp | Deputy Director, Strategic Finance and Planning |
| Head of Financial Strategy | |
| Strategic Finance, Head of Investment Cases | |
| Clare Farren | Deputy Director, Judicial Private Offices |
| HMCTS Board Secretary | |
| Deputy Head of HMCTS Board Secretariat |
1.3 Apologies
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Nicky Wilden | Non-Executive Member and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee Chair |
| Jan Gower | Non-Executive HMCTS Change Portfolio Board member/Critical Friend |
2. Welcome and introductions
Attendees were welcomed to the meeting and the apologies were given.
3. Minutes and actions
The minutes from the meeting on 9 June 2022 were approved and updates on actions were noted.
4. Performance & finance updates
The Board was informed that the Crime Programme Board and senior judiciary had given approval for the implementation of the Common Platform at a further tranche of sites. However, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) had stated its intention to launch an industrial action ballot in response to this decision. The impact of disruption by industrial action by legal professionals in relation to publicly-funded defence work in the Crown Court was being closely monitored.
An update was provided on the work being undertaken, alongside the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), in response to the government plans to reduce the number of civil servants, referred to as ‘Civil Service 2025’.
The Board considered the performance across different jurisdictions. This included specific discussions around: magistrates’ courts; the Civil jurisdiction; outstanding Civil and Family orders; Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC) Tribunal, Social Security and Child Support Tribunal and Probate.
An update was provided on the current financial position.
5. HMCTS reform programme update
Updates were provided on the challenges being faced by the programme and the delivery of benefits with specific updates on Common Platform and the work on Special Tribunals.
6. Quarterly review by the principals
The Board provided its feedback on the papers to be submitted for the next Principals’ meeting.
7. London crown court – workload, performance and recovery planning update
There was a discussion in relation to the Crown Court in London, covering the current workload and performance position, opportunities and challenges, and the key enablers to support recovery.
8. Update on prisoner escort & custody services (PECS)
Consideration was given to PECS performance, strategic and tactical activity to improve delivery, HMCTS specific impacts and post COVID-19 operation.
9. Reform benefits realised (2020/21 and 2021/22) for government major projects portfolio (GMPP reporting)
The Board discussed the assessment of net benefits realised in 2020/21 and 2021/22.