Guidance

HMCTS Common Platform for defence administrators

Guide for legal defence administrators on creating user accounts, assigning roles, and other system tasks.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Details

This guide outlines your responsibilities as an organisation administrator and provides instructions on how to:

  • create users on Common Platform
  • manage accounts for joiners, movers and leavers
  • keep your organisation and user information up to date

Once your organisation has registered and you have activated your account, you can start accessing cases in Common Platform.

Get help

We also have guides for how to use Common Platform that will help with other tasks, such as account activation, case management and checking in to a hearing.

If you need help getting a unique reference number for a case, or you have a business related query on a Common Platform case, contact the courts and tribunals service centre (CTSC).

If you need further help or have questions that are not addressed in the guidance, you can contact our helpdesk.

CTSC

Telephone: 0330 808 4407
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm
Closed on bank holidays
Email: ProfessionalContactCrime@justice.gov.uk

Helpdesk

Telephone: 020 3989 6060
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturdays, 8am to 2pm
Closed on Sundays and bank holidays
Email: CJSCP-DefenceServiceDesk@hmcts.net

We aim to respond to emails within 5 working days.

These guides are for defence professionals. If you are another type of user and need help with Common Platform, email CJSCP-ServiceDesk@hmcts.net.

Published 25 March 2022
Last updated 16 June 2023 + show all updates
  1. Added some additional guidance to emphasise important steps

  2. First published.