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Strategic Engagement Group Meeting Chair’s Summary - March 2026

Published 2 April 2026

1.  Introduction

A summary of the Strategic Engagement Group (StratEG) meeting held online on 24 March 2026.

Members of the Bar Council, Law Society and Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) met representatives of HMCTS for the latest quarterly meeting.

The meeting included verbal updates covering:

• Actions and minutes from the previous meeting (2 December 2025)
• Strategic overview
• Remote Participation Programme

Presentations covered:

• Artificial intelligence and automation in national services
• Upcoming major change projects
• Listing Improvement Programme
• Criminal Court Reform Implementation Programme

Papers circulated in advance covered:

• Jurisdictional updates
• Artificial intelligence and automation in national services presentation

 2. Strategic overview

The Concordat process has been completed, providing multi-year funding certainty across courts and tribunals. This includes unlimited Crown Court sitting days, funding for the Independent Review of Criminal Courts recommendations, system modernisation, civil court digitisation, completion of major building projects, and increased tribunal maintenance.

The Justice Delivery Plan is expected to be published in April 2026, covering 2026 to 2029 with milestones for 2026 to 2027. The three headline outcomes are: punishment that works, swifter justice for victims, and a beacon for justice and the rule of law.

The Online Procedure Rules Committee is progressing core rules for civil, family and tribunal proceedings, alongside possession-specific rules following consultation closure in January 2026.

No decision has been made on the Family Private Law digital service rollout due to outstanding technical issues, with the earliest start being May or June 2026.

HMCTS is developing a non-exclusive third-party data licence for listing data via the Court and Tribunals Hearings service (CaTH). CaTH publishes listing information in machine-readable format across civil, family, tribunal and Royal Courts of Justice jurisdictions, with criminal court lists being added.

3.  Artificial intelligence and automation in national service centres

All HMCTS telephony has migrated to the Genesys platform, delivering improved stability. Future capabilities include Genesys Copilot to support call monitoring and agent wellbeing.

Automation under development includes intelligent document processing for divorce and probate, email triage through Power Platform (projected to save 7% of manual routing resource), and automated enforcement tracing. Longer-term possibilities include agentic AI and AI telephony agents, which would not be deployed without informing callers.

All AI solutions undergo HMCTS governance review, including assessment by the AI Steering Group. Data sovereignty is maintained, with all data remaining UK-based and not shared with external AI providers. Service improvements are expected to be incremental, with no headcount reduction targets attached to these programmes.

4.  Upcoming major change projects

The Change Directorate manages a portfolio of nearly 30 major projects with a whole-life cost of approximately £2 billion. The portfolio prioritises delivery of the Independent Review of Criminal Courts recommendations, civil digitisation, new housing dispute legislation, the 24-week immigration and asylum appeals timeline, and the Employment Rights Act, amongst others.

The current approach reflects lessons from the previous Reform Programme, prioritising phased rollouts with early adopter testing, early judicial and professional engagement, and stronger dependency management.

Legal professional bodies were invited to submit written responses indicating where further engagement would be most useful, what information is needed ahead of service rollouts, and what notice and support is required for national implementation.

5.   A combined update on the Listing Improvement Programme, Remote Participation Programme and Criminal Court Reform Implementation progress and plans

Listing Improvement Programme

The Listing Improvement Programme was established in late autumn 2025 to support the judiciary-led national listing framework, a key recommendation from Part 2 of the Independent Review of Criminal Courts.

The programme is structured around three workstreams: data and analysis, to define effective listing and inform national policy; digital tooling, covering scheduling and listing functionality within the Common Platform and a machine learning tool to predict trial duration and identify risk factors; and people and change, ensuring the right roles, capabilities and guidance are in place.

Pilot engagement is underway with Isleworth and Preston Crown Courts.

Remote Participation Programme

The Remote Participation Programme launched in December 2025, aiming to improve accessibility, flexibility and resilience across all jurisdictions. Benefits include continuity during disruption, reduced travel burden, and preserved judicial discretion.

The programme is informed by Part 2 of the Independent Review of Criminal Courts.

The programme is exploring video remand, virtual regions, and improved video solutions through market engagement. No procurement decisions have been made regarding the future of the current CVP platform beyond 2029.

A full literature review of previous pilot experience is underway to inform future development.

Criminal Court Reform Implementation Programme

The Criminal Court Reform Implementation Programme was established within HMCTS to manage the implementation of structural reforms from the Courts and Tribunals Bill and the Sentencing Act.

The Sentencing Act received Royal Assent on 22 January 2026. Provisions on bail and suspended sentences commenced on 22 March 2026, with further provisions following on a staged basis throughout the year.

The Courts and Tribunals Bill contains reforms including removing the right to elect jury trial, increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers, reforming the appeals process, introducing recording in the magistrates’ court, establishing a Crown Court bench division, and introducing trial by judge alone for technical and lengthy cases. Royal Assent is anticipated in autumn 2026.

Part 2 of the Independent Review contains approximately 135 recommendations organised into five themes: aligned criminal justice system, modernised infrastructure and technology, high-quality early decision-making, efficient case progression, and a sustainable legal workforce.

A formal government response is expected in due course. Around 75% of recommendations fall outside HMCTS’s direct ownership, with HMCTS working with MoJ and criminal justice partners to address these collectively.

6.  Next meeting

The next meeting date is yet to be confirmed but is currently planned for September 2026.

Rob Hack

Chair