Pre-trial Reviews (Hansard, 16 September 2004)

§ The Solicitor-General

Service has played an active, collaborative part in the Effective Trial Management Programme (ETMP), an initiative involving criminal justice agencies, and the judiciary, to plan, design and introduce non-legislative case management reforms heralded in the Government's White Paper, Justice for All.

During 2003, ETMP has tested a range of improvements to the pre-trial process in six criminal justice areas. These have included measures designed to ensure that pre-trial hearings in the magistrates' courts are held only where necessary to progress a case to an effective trial.

For example, in Essex, the first Area to introduce changes to the management of magistrates' courts cases, almost all contested cases are progressed outside of 1654WS formal court hearings by case progression officers based in the courts, the CPS, and the police, working with the local judiciary, and a named contact for the defence.

There has been an independent evaluation of the changes introduced in Essex, which has calculated that this process change could result in a saving of 8,640 hearings in a year, leading to more efficient utilisation of courtroom time; a decrease in ineffective trials; and improved timeliness. Other test areas have introduced similar changes.

Guidance on how cases might be managed most effectively and efficiently from pre-charge through to conclusion, including the good practice and learning points from the ETMP test areas, is now contained within the Criminal Case Management Framework (CCMF). The Lord Chief Justice, the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General and Baroness Scotland jointly issued the Framework on 21 July 2004. It states that "hearings before the court may take place if there is a material failure likely to affect the proper progress of the case."

All other remaining criminal justice areas are now planning, designing or implementing similar changes to the process.