Guidance

HMCTS Crime Reform Evaluation: fair processing notice

Published 30 July 2025

Applies to England and Wales

About this study

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) are carrying out a study of the use of new digital systems (Common Platform and the Single Justice Service) in Magistrates’ and Crown Courts, implemented as part of HMCTS Reform. The study will help us to understand and evaluate how these systems are being used and to make recommendations for improvements in the longer term.

We will use the data collected through this study to improve HMCTS services by:

• understanding how the process of implementing the new digital systems has gone
• understanding the impact of the new digital systems on the public, professional users and court processes

What data we collect from you

The study will include surveys with service users, including defence professionals and defendants. It will also include qualitative interviews with different professional and public groups, analysis of existing survey data, and analysis of management information data which is collected from courts. This work will be conducted by an external research organisation, IFF Research. We will use data from existing management information records to contact potential participants and collect data on experiences of using the services. MoJ and HMCTS will process personal data supplied in this service in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

We have a privacy policy explaining what you can expect from the HMCTS when we hold or request personal information (‘personal data’) about you; how you can get access to a copy of your personal data; and what you can do if you think we’ve done something wrong. The MOJ privacy policy can also be found on GOV.UK. The IFF Research privacy policy is available on their website.

What we will do with your data

We have appointed an external research organisation, IFF Research, to carry out this evaluation. We will share contact details and case information with IFF Research and their sub-contractors to enable them to invite those using the court services to participate in the evaluation.

The external research organisation will anonymise answers to the data they collect by removing the name and other details that could identify participants from the data. This means that it will not be possible to tell who the information is from or about. The anonymised responses may later be used by HMCTS/MOJ and/or other researchers for the purpose of further research.

Any personal information collected by the external research company will be stored separately and securely and will be deleted one year after the research project ends.

Third party data sharing

Third parties with whom the information will be shared are IFF Research Ltd. and their sub-contractors Central Mailing Services Ltd. to undertake mailing services.

To find out more

Taking part in the research is voluntary. If you prefer not to take part, you don’t need to do anything. If you receive a telephone call from one of the interviewer team inviting you to take part over the phone, you are welcome to decline that request. If you fill in the survey but decide later that you do not want your answers to be used, please contact IFF Research and they will delete your response and not use it in the research.

IFF Research can be contacted by emailing CrimeProgrammeResearch@iffresearch.com, or by leaving a message at 020 7250 3035 for the Crime Programme Research team.

For any specific queries about the study, you can email HMCTS.evaluation@justice.gov.uk. Please include your reference number in any correspondence, which can be found at the top of any invite email you may have received.