Published: 19 Sep 2024
Effectiveness of Criminal Court Administration
The smooth operation of Northern Ireland’s criminal Courts requires professional and efficient administrative and operational support. Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) has published an Inspection Report highlighting the essential role that the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) plays in ensuring justice is administered accurately and promptly. The report looks at the various administrative processes that are critical in supporting judicial decision-making and the overall progression of criminal Court cases.
Effective administrative support is fundamental to the administration of justice in Northern Ireland. The NICTS staff are tasked with recording judicial decisions, sentences and orders made in the Crown, Magistrates’ and Youth Courts. Their role is vital in maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the justice system. The quality of these services directly impacts the confidence of everyone involved in the process including victims, witnesses, defendants and the wider public.
CJI Inspectors identified that performance management and quality assurance processes required improvement. Between 2020 and 2023, over 4,800 Court Orders required amendment and more than 4,500 were deleted largely due to staff errors. While these errors represent less than 0.5% of total orders issued annually, the impact can lead to additional costs, delays in payments, mean someone is held in custody longer than they should be, or could compromise the effective management of risk presented by an offender to protect public safety.
Another significant challenge highlighted in the report was the number of staff vacancies is the NICTS, particularly for Court Clerk roles. In October 2023, 15% of these positions were vacant, with gaps being filled through a combination of temporary promotion and temporary contract agency staff. This was creating instability in the NICTS and negatively impacting staff morale.
The Inspection also pointed out the need for improved training and guidance for NICTS staff, particularly those staff members in operational roles in regional Courthouses. While the NICTS has already started addressing these issues by identifying training gaps improving the level of training provided to staff and developing best practice guidance, more needs to be done.
This inspection recognises that NICTS staff have worked to provide support to all Crown, Magistrates’ and Youth Courts across Northern Ireland despite the business challenges it has faced. During 2022-23, their efforts meant that 15% more Crown Court cases and 5% more Magistrates’ Court cases were processed than the volume of cases they received.
Inspectors also recognise the agile approach of the NICTS and the significant progress and value it achieved by its use of technology which maintained court operations and access to justice through remote and hybrid Court hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Inspection makes two Strategic and seven Operational recommendations designed to help the NICTS continue to improve and adapt to future challenges.
The Inspection Team has recommended that the NICTS review its quality assurance processes to enhance the accuracy of Court Orders. Inspectors have also recommended that existing processes for making data changes requests to amend or delete Court Orders should be reviewed and compliance monitored to secure further improvements.
To improve the staff training and development needs for Court Clerks, Inspectors have recommended that the NICTS should develop and deliver a new Knowledge Bank online resource for staff that will include induction and training and development information and support the digital modernisation of the organisation.
While Inspectors welcome work the NICTS has undertaken with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to recognise the important and specific role Court Clerks have in supporting the administration of justice and the current recruitment scheme to develop a long-term solution to address this staffing risk, they have recommended that a Workforce Strategy that sets out the staff required to effectively administer Courts and support the Judiciary is put in place to inform a sustainable skilled workforce.
The NICTS has demonstrated agility and innovation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, by adopting remote and hybrid court hearings. This adaptability is part of the broader Vision 2030 programme, which aims to transform how services are provided in Northern Ireland’s criminal Courts. While technology will play a crucial role in this transformation, the success of Vision 2030 will ultimately depend on a skilled and engaged workforce.
The recommendations for improvement included in this Inspection Report aim to support the NICTS as it moves forward to meet future challenges. Maintaining a focus on professional operational support is crucial to ensuring that justice is administered efficiently and effectively across Northern Ireland’s criminal Courts.
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