Could 'E-courtbundles' revolutionise family court proceedings?

Could an advanced system revolutionalise old court practices?

A pilot scheme launched in Nottingham, which involves essential court papers being compiled, fully paginated and indexed within 25 minutes, compared to the four to five hours it takes for a manual court file to be produced, has elicited a positive response. But will the so-called 'E-courtbundles' really be a viable way of preparing and presenting family court proceedings?

Working in collaboration Nottingham Family Court and Nottingham County Council are pioneering a new way of working which they claim will transform the preparation and presentation of court hearings throughout the UK.

Significantly reducing court papers preparation

According to a report on Family Week, an E-courtbundle, which comprises of 400 pages, can be fully assembled, paginated and indexed in less than 30 minutes. This compares to a manual court file preparation system which typically takes between four and five hours.

With searchable words and being able to click on a title of a document which takes you straight to the paper, the E-courtbundle has been deemed as being easier to manage. Furthermore, police interviews, both audio and transcripts, can also be included in the bundle.

The pilot scheme involves a laptop being provided for court use which already has the E-Courtbundle installed and ready to use. It includes a monitor for the witness table. These monitors and laptops replace lever arch files, which take much longer to prepare and are more difficult to handle.

What about security issues?

Naturally the security of such important court files needs to be a paramount feature of the E-courtbundles. According to Family Week the documents are password protected as they are sent via Cryptshare, a secure file email and browser transfer system which uses Outlook plug-in.

Being able to have access to vital court files instantly, the E-courtbundles will enable magistrates to work remotely as opposed to having to travel to the court to pick up crucial documents.

Talking of how he believes it is only a matter of time before such E-courtbundles are implemented in courtrooms across the whole of the UK, Geoff Russell, a Nottingham County Solicitor who is also leading the pilot scheme, told Family Law Week:

"The Family Justice Review identified that technology is pivotal in improving performance, but little guidance has been provided on how it can be achieved".

"We know that criminal courts are moving towards the digital agenda but both the Nottingham Family Court and Nottinghamshire County Council have now successfully conducted three sets of proceedings and more importantly, have devised a way which requires little investment in new equipment, network systems or expensive software.”

The pilot scheme has been met with approval with one magistrate saying:

"The digital bundles are easy to manage, even for those with little or no IT experience. We also noticed it was far easier for witnesses, some of whom are unfamiliar with bundles - they just had to look at the appropriate page on the monitor.”

The Nottinghamshire pilot project is believed to be the first time such a system has been used in live court proceedings in Britain.

Making use of technology

Whilst Nottingham might have been the first to pilot such digital technology in court proceedings, Birmingham Mercantile Court has been involved in e-court direction.

In a guide titled 'E-Bundle Practice Direction from Birmingham Mercantile Court: The Shape of Things to Come' published in September 2014, the author talks about how the guide is:

"Intended to encourage and facilitate the use of electronic bundles ('eBundles') of documents and video conferencing ('VC') in court hearings, in accordance with the duty of the court to further the overriding objective by 'making use of technology".

According to figures released earlier this year by Cafcass, 70% of family courts are not meeting the 26-week target for case cases. In light of this statistic, systems, procedures and technology that speeds up the court process, are likely to be met in a positive light. In this sense E-courtbundles could possibly revolutionalise court proceedings.

If you require assistance or advice about any element of family law, do not hesitate to get in touch with Tracey Miller Family Law. Tracey Miller Family Law has more than 20 years of experience in the legal industry and provides quality services and advice on all areas related to family law.

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