Guidance
Where to add case materials
Updated 18 March 2024
Applies to England and Wales
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-use-hmcts-common-platform/where-to-add-case-materials
Use this guide to work out which sections of Common Platform to add each type of case material. See the guidance on how to serve documents and add case material in Common Platform.
In the magistrates’ court, you must add case materials to the correct section, as set out in this guide. This will allow only the intended parties to have access to them.
You should use standard criminal procedure rules forms for uploading case material. This makes sure that all relevant information is captured and it is in a standard format.
In the Crown court, you must continue to add case materials to the Digital Case System (DCS).
1. Charges
Case materials to be uploaded
- Charge sheet (MG4)
- Notice of criminal charge (MG4D)
- Statement of service (MG4E)
- Further and amended charges
- Certificate of service
- Breach of bail conditions form (MG08)
- Postal requisitions
- Certificate under section 6
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Probation service
- Youth offending team
2. Case summary
Case materials to be uploaded
- Case summary (MG5)
- Drafts
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Probation service
- Youth offending team
3. Key witness statements
Case materials to be uploaded
- Key witness statements
- Streamline disclosure form (SDF)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Probation service
- Youth offending team
4. Witness statements
Case materials to be uploaded
- Victim personal statement
- Character statements for trial
- Full service of prosecution case
- Section 9 statements – including S9 notices for notices of additional evidence (NAEs)
- Defence bundle
- Traffic collision witness questionnaire
- Evidence and actions book (EAB)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
5. Key exhibits
Case materials to be uploaded
- Key exhibits and service for plea and trial preparation hearing (PTPH) form
- Notices of additional evidence (NAEs) for exhibits
- Additional exhibits
- Manual guidance drink driving form A – breath (MGDDA)
- Manual guidance drink driving form B – blood or urine (MGDDB)
- Manual guidance drink driving form E – drugs (MGDDE)
- Exhibit list (MG12)
- Drink driving form – hospital procedure (MGDDC)
- Pocket notebook (PNB)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Probation service
- Youth offending team
6. Exhibits
Case materials to be uploaded
- Full service of prosecution case
- Notice of intended prosecution (NIP)
- Road safety report
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
7. Transcript of achieving best evidence (ABE) interviews
Case materials to be uploaded
- ABE transcripts, including clearly labelled edited transcripts
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
8. Streamlined forensic reports
Case materials to be uploaded
- Streamlined forensic reports 1 and 2
- Analytical data pack
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
9. Expert reports
Case materials to be uploaded
- Reports for trial, including defence intermediary reports
- Multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) report
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
10. Unused material
Only HM Courts and Tribunal Service can upload to this section.
Case materials to be uploaded
- Disclosure of unused material
- Lists, schedules and letters about disclosure of unused material
- Streamlined disclosure certificate (SDC)
- Disclosure management document (DMD)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
11. Defence statement
Only the defence can upload to this section.
Case materials to be uploaded
- Defence case statements
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
12. Previous convictions (pre-cons)
Case materials to be uploaded
- Previous convictions and further versions of previous convictions
- Police national computer (PNC) print documents
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Probation service
- Youth offending team
13. Initial details of the prosecution case (IDPC) bundle
Case materials to be uploaded
- Initial details of the prosecution case (IDPC) bundle
- Immigration and Asylum Tribunal anonymity application (IAT1)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Probation service
- Youth offending team
14. Magistrates’ court evidence bundle
You cannot upload any case materials to this section.
Case materials available for hearing from the initial details of the prosecution case (IDPC)
- Witness statements
- Exhibits
- Record of interview (MG15)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
15. Plea
Used in Crown court and magistrates’ court.
Case materials to be uploaded
- All versions of basis of plea and prosecution responses
- Written or online plea
- Change of plea
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Probation service
16. Bail and custody
Used in Crown court and magistrates’ court.
Case materials to be uploaded
- Bail assessment reports (from probation or bail support services)
- Security information
- Surety information
- Prison record of refusal to attend
- Liaison and diversion reports
- Re-bail notice
- Manual maps relating to tagging orders (if on bail)
(Do not add local authority notes of bail application)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
17. Case management
Case materials to be uploaded
- Plea and trial preparation hearing (PTPH) form (Crown Court)
- Preparation for an effective trial (PET) form (Magistrates Court)
- Better case management (BCM) form
- Case management orders – made in open court or administratively
- Certificates of readiness
- Written directions
- Ineffective trial forms
- Ground rules hearing forms
- Ground rules orders
- Standard witness tables
- Draft questions for the parties, where ordered
- Draft orders submitted by parties
- Running order of prosecution evidence to be presented at trial
- Review of proposed questions for a party
- Report of actions (chronology of police actions as directed by a judge)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
18. Applications
Case materials to be uploaded
- Custody time limit (CTL) including all applications relating to bail and custody
- Special measures
- Hearsay
- Application to introduce evidence of bad character form
- Evidence of defendant’s bad character or dangerous offences form (MG16)
- Extensions to time
- Skeleton arguments
- Applications to transfer or extend legal aid
- Discontinuance
- Legal Aid Agency (LAA) orders
- Bail appeals
- Objection to non-defendant bad character application
- Abuse of process bundle
- Application for knife crime prevention order (on conviction)
- Res gestae (refer to provision 118 section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003)
- Detention log form (PW05)
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
19. General correspondence
Case materials to be uploaded
- Court and tribunal service centre (CTSC) Antenna document
- Telephone messages, emails and letters (only general correspondence for both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and defence)
- Drink drive completion certificates and non-completion certificates
- Contested initial details of the prosecution case (IDPC) Letter
- Conditional caution (MG14)
- Death – coroner
- Death certificate – doctor
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
20. Order, notice and directions
Case materials to be uploaded
- Orders restraining publicity
- Any orders or notices generated from a decision relating to further hearings or sentencing
- Manually created notices, orders or warrants – for example bail conditions and remand orders
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
21. Trial documents
Case materials to be uploaded
- Opening speech
- S10 admissions
- Any official transcript of a judicial ruling
- Schedules
- Notice of alibi
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
22. Jury material
Case materials to be uploaded
- Jury notes – do not include sensitive personal information
- Written assistance on the evidence
- Jury bundle
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
23. Sentence
Case materials to be uploaded
- Any document prepared for the sentencing hearing to be considered by the court at sentence, including applications for ancillary orders on sentence
- Pre-sentence report (PSR)
- Nil report for PSR
- Sentencing remarks
- References
- Psychiatric reports in relation to sentence
- Means form (MC100)
- Taken into considerations tables (TICs)
- Driver validation service (DVS) printout
- Draft criminal behaviour order
- Maps relating to sentencing tagging orders
- Youth offending team consultation (views on proposed criminal behaviour order (CBO))
- Community impact statement
- Written rulings
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Probation service
- Youth offending team
24. Court final orders
You cannot upload any case materials to this section.
Case materials available after hearing
Once the outcome of a hearing has been shared, this section will include any system-generated notices, orders and warrants.
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
- Police administration
- Victims and witnesses’ administration
- Probation service
- Youth offending team
25. Representation
Case materials to be uploaded
- Legal Aid Agency orders
Who can access the section
- Defence
- HM Courts and Tribunal Service
- Magistrates’ court judiciary
26. Private section – defence
Case materials to be uploaded
- Defence specific documents
Who can access the section
- Defence