The court system in England and Wales has successfully relocated 37 applications from outdated datacenters despite some resorting to interim hosting solutions until permanent replacements are arranged. This significant shift was spearheaded by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), involving the closure and migration of applications formerly hosted in Park Royal, West London, and Swindon datacenters. The transition, initiated in 2020, faced challenges due to the antiquated nature of the hardware, with Pete Harrison, HMCTS’s program director, highlighting the difficulty in finding replacement parts, which risked causing critical service disruptions.

Moving forward, the strategy also included upgrading specific applications to cloud platforms. Notably, three jury management systems were merged into a unified digital tool known as Juror Digital. Additionally, a new digital recording system has been established for the Crown Court. Temporary hosting facilities have been provided for applications that await eventual retirement or upgrade.

This modernization effort is ongoing, with HMCTS also investing in tools to transition data from legacy systems like Libra Web and Court Store to a centralized Common Platform, the future criminal case management system for magistrates and Crown Court cases. However, the path to modernization has not been without its costs. In 2023 alone, HMCTS awarded a contract extension to consultancy CGI, worth up to £60 million, to sustain critical yet outdated software systems.

Amidst these developments, Sir Brian Leveson’s review of the criminal courts underscored the urgent need for technological advancements to reduce the fragmentation in the justice system. Recommendations include leveraging AI for material summarization, transcription, and court process interpretation, as well as increasing the use of video calls.

The search for HMCTS’s new chief executive further accentuates the commitment to driving significant organizational changes, emphasizing the need for experience in leading public sector transformations that incorporate digital innovations.