Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 16 October 2023.

The most vulnerable in society will be better supported to access justice following an expansion of a scheme to help people with court and tribunal fees.

The ‘Help with Fees’ scheme protects universal access to justice by providing those on low income and little to no savings with financial help towards the cost of these fees.

The scheme offers essential support to vulnerable individuals and comes at a crucial time following recent, but now reducing, inflation.

The income and capital eligibility thresholds are being raised significantly, potentially supporting thousands more people and ensuring justice is never unaffordable.

The scheme is also being simplified making it easier for people to use, including allowing their legal representatives to complete applications.

In the last year alone, the scheme has provided over £80 million to thousands of people in a wide range of cases such as family disputes, housing issues and compensation claims for personal injuries.

Justice Minister Mike Freer said:

No matter what someone’s finances, it is vital they can get the justice they deserve which is why we are making it easier for more people to get help with court fees.

The Help with Fees scheme has already helped tens of thousands of people pay court fees since we created it in 2013 and our reforms will make it more generous for those who need it most.

The changes to income thresholds will vary depending on different families and their circumstances, including the age of any children. For example:

• For a couple with 2 children under 14, the monthly income threshold would increase from £1,875 per month to £2,980
• For a single person with no children the threshold would increase from £1,170 per month to £1,420

Additional financial support will be provided for parents with a child aged 14 or over, considering the greater cost associated with looking after older children.

The Government will also change how the scheme is targeted to make sure the most financially vulnerable are better supported by:

• Providing more flexibility for individuals with money in savings and investments by increasing the minimum capital threshold for the scheme.  This will allow applicants to have more capital before they become ineligible for the scheme.
• Making it easier for the self-employed and those who work variable shift patterns to qualify by better recognising that income can fluctuate month- on-month.
• Ensuring those on higher incomes pay more of their court and tribunal fees, by revising partial fee discounts so the more an individual earns, the more they pay towards their fees.
• Raising the scheme’s age cap from 61 to the state pension age of 66.

The reforms follow a public consultation earlier this year which found the  majority of respondents were very supportive of the Government’s plans to expand and improve the scheme. The reformed scheme will come into force later this year.

The changes come alongside wider Government measures to ensure people can access justice no matter their personal finances. Earlier this year more than 6 million more people were made eligible for legal aid advice and representation under a major investment to support those who need it most.

Notes to Editors:

• Some people on a higher income may still be supported by the scheme. Individuals can check their eligibility and apply for the scheme online
• To qualify for the scheme an individual needs to be on a low income or be on benefits such as Income Support, Universal Credit or Pension Credit
• Help with Fees is the single fee remission scheme applicable in all courts and tribunals in England and Wales. It also applies to fees charged by tribunals with UK-wide jurisdiction, and the UK Supreme Court.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 29 September 2023.

HMP Woodhill will take urgent action to improve safety, security and living conditions including specialist psychological staff to support prisoners at risk of self-harm.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 29 September 2023.

Overhaul of learning behind bars to include specialist teaching staff, apprenticeships and digital reading tools.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 September 2023.

The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor has announced the interim appointment of Sue McAllister as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation.

The Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon. Alex Chalk KC MP, has announced the appointment of Sue McAllister as the interim Chief Inspector of Probation (HMCI Probation). This interim appointment will commence on 1 October 2023 and end on 1 March 2024 or when a substantive post holder is appointed, whichever is earlier.

The recruitment of HMCI Probation is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and this interim appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) is the independent inspector of probation and youth offending services in England and Wales. The Inspectorate offers independent scrutiny of the quality of work undertaken with individual offenders to seek to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.

Biography

From 2018 to 2022, Sue McAllister was Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). During that time, Mrs McAllister led two independent investigations into deaths of babies in custody. The PPO’s report on the death of Baby A at HMP Bronzefield was published in September 2021, and the report on the death of Baby B at HMP Styal was published in January 2022..

Prior to becoming PPO, Mrs McAllister was the Director of Reducing Offending and Prison Service Director General, Department of Justice (DOJ), Northern Ireland. She has held senior policy roles including Head of Public Sector Bids Unit at the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), and operational management roles in HM Prison Service as Prison Governor, Head of Security Group and Area Manager for the West Midlands.

Mrs McAllister also led an independent investigation into a serious disturbance at an Immigration Removal Centre for the Home Office and was a member of an independent review into a sensitive death in custody.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 September 2o23.

The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor has announced the Royal reappointment of Charlie Taylor as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

The Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon. Alex Chalk KC MP, has announced the Royal reappointment of Charlie Taylor as the Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCI Prisons) for a second term of 3 years. His reappointment will run from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2026.

Mr Taylor’s original appointment tenure commenced on 1 November 2020 for a 3 year term to run until 31 October 2023.

The recruitment of HMCI Prisons is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and this reappointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate. The Chief Inspector reports directly to Ministers but operates independently of government and the services under its scrutiny. The Chief Inspector has a duty to report on conditions for and treatment of those in prison, young offender institutions, secure training centres, immigration detention facilities, and court custody suites, customs custody facilities and military detention in England and Wales.

Charlie Taylor Biography

Charlie Taylor was initially appointed as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2020 and was re-appointed in 2023. From 2017-2020 Mr Taylor was Chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales. Before taking up this role he led the government’s review of the youth justice system. Mr Taylor was Chief Executive of the National College of Teaching and Leadership from its launch in 2013. He is a former head teacher of The Willows, a school for children with complex behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. He was the Coalition Government’s expert adviser on behaviour until 2012 and produced reviews for the Department for Education on alternative provision (for children excluded from mainstream schools) and attendance in schools.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 22 September 2023.

The most vulnerable in society will be better protected as reforms to simplify and streamline lasting powers of attorney are given Royal Assent.

These legal agreements enable a person to grant decision making powers about their care, treatment or financial affairs to another person if they lose mental capacity.

The Powers of Attorney Act fires the starting gun on bringing the existing paper-based process online for the first time. The changes, when introduced, will make the system quicker, easier to access and more secure for the thousands of people who make and rely on a lasting power of attorney every year.

The legislation, which was introduced by Stephen Metcalfe MP and supported by the government, will also strengthen existing fraud protection by allowing checks on the identity of those applying for a lasting power of attorney.

The new online system and the additional safeguards are now being developed by the Office of the Public Guardian. Extensive testing will need to be carried out to ensure the process is simple to use, works as intended and is secure. More information on when it will be available will be published in the coming months.

Justice Minister Mike Freer said:

Millions of people rely on a lasting power of attorney to make sure their care and finances are taken care of should they lose mental capacity.

This Act allows us to modernise the service, introduce new safeguards from fraud and abuse and make it simpler to give people peace of mind their interests will be protected.

The number of registered lasting power of attorneys has increased drastically in recent years to more than 6 million but the process of making one retains many paper-based features that are over 30 years old. Every year, the Office of the Public Guardian handles more than 19 million pieces of paper as a result of their offline system.

The digitalisation will speed up registration time by picking up errors earlier and allowing them to be fixed online rather than having to wait for documents to be posted back and forth between the applicant and the Office of the Public Guardian as currently happens.

An improved paper process will also be introduced for those unable to use the internet.

These reforms build on the success of the ‘Use an LPA’ service which was launched in 2020 which allowed organisations like banks to digitally and securely check the registration of a lasting power of attorney instantaneously. This sped up a process that previously took weeks to conclude while paper copies were shared.

Amy Holmes, the Public Guardian for England and Wales, said:

This is a significant milestone in our plans to modernise lasting powers of attorney and we are one step closer to a quicker, more secure and straightforward service.

Our focus now is on continuing to develop, test and refine a new online platform and improved paper process to ensure we provide a service that will include additional safeguards and suit the needs of all our customers.

In the meantime, the Office of the Public Guardian has increased the number of staff processing applications and the teams are now registering around 19,000 more lasting powers of attorney a month than before the pandemic.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 22 September 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has reappointed Ronnie Alexander, Joyce Cullen, Marcus Killick and Leo O’Reilly as non-executive members of the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements (IMA).

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 22 September 2023.

Offenders will be put to work to pay back the communities they have harmed as part of a week-long nationwide clean-up of Britain’s coastline.

Plastic and litter will be removed by offenders wearing high-visibility jackets emblazoned with “Community Payback” on beaches up-and-down the country, as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean.

This builds on the government’s commitment to give communities a greater say in how justice is served.

The Probation Service has partnered with several major organisations with a focus on outdoor unpaid work projects to improve the quality of life of neighbourhoods blighted by anti-social behaviour and allow the public to see justice being done.

Its work with the Marine Conservation Society will see offenders carry out more than a thousand hours of unpaid work in just ten days in coastal areas including Kent, Northumberland and Norfolk.

In March, the government published its Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. Focused on stamping out these crimes, the plan sets out how Community Payback can make offenders pay for their crimes.

Prisons and Probation Minister, Damian Hinds, visited Hayling Island in Hampshire to see offenders putting in hours of hard graft for the benefit of the local community.

Prisons and Probation Minister, Damian Hinds, said:

The government is coming down hard on the anti-social behaviour which makes other people’s lives a misery.

We want offenders visibly atoning for their crimes in a way which benefits the law-abiding majority and this work also helps protect our beautiful coastline.

The Marine Conversation Society will log the recovered rubbish and use the data gathered to help them understand the main pollutants and focus their fight to protect the British coastline.

Jennifer Mitchell, Director of Engagement and Communications at the Marine Conservation Society, said:

We’re pleased to see offenders making a difference to their communities and environment by contributing to our work.

Clearing our beaches of litter is not only a great way to give back to society, it also helps us tackle ocean pollution by gathering vital data.

Information on what is washing up on our beaches, like wet wipes or plastic bottles, is analysed by scientists and helps us campaign for change for cleaner seas and a healthier planet.

Each year courts hand down more than 50,000 Unpaid Work requirements to punish offenders for crimes including theft, criminal damage and alcohol-related incidents.

The government is investing up to £93 million extra into Community Payback which will see offenders completing millions of unpaid work each year to improve the environment and revitalise our towns and cities.

This year marks 50 years since the launch of the first Community Payback project after the first unpaid work placement was ordered by a judge at Nottingham Crown Court on 2 January 1973.

Notes to editors:

• The Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean runs from 15 – 24 September.
• The Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan sets out the Government’s approach to stamping out anti-social behaviour and restoring the right of people to feel safe in, and proud of, their local area.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 15 September 2023.

Lincoln Crown Court opens its doors to celebrate 200 years of serving the community and delivering justice.

Families will get a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to try on wigs and gowns, hear how judges prepare for cases, and even make the walk from the dock to the cells at Lincoln Crown Court as the historic site opens its doors to celebrate 200 years of serving the community and delivering justice.

Residents will be invited into the historic court building on Saturday (16 September 2023) to explore its rich history, relive criminal trials over the past 2 centuries, and take a behind-the-scenes look at how justice is done.

Court hearings have taken place on the same site in the grounds of Lincoln Castle as far back as the 11th century. Building on the current Crown Court building began in 1823, designed by Sir Robert Smirke, with a grand jury room and 2 courtrooms to hear criminal and civil cases.

In March 1872, the court held the trial of William Frederick Horry who was convicted of murdering his wife and became the first person in the UK to be executed by the long drop method of hanging.

The building still hears criminal cases from across Lincolnshire today and the open day will offer a unique hands-on opportunity to take in its courtrooms, defendant dock, cells, and jury rooms. Visitors can also watch a mock trial and sentencing to understand how the court continues to deliver justice.

Judges, magistrates and court staff will be on hand to answer questions, and families can speak to Probation Service and Crown Prosecution Service teams about how they each play a vital role right across the modern-day justice system.

Justice Minister Mike Freer, said:

As well as a world-leading justice system, we have a truly historic courts estate with fascinating histories and stories to tell.

We are investing millions of pounds every year to ensure our court buildings are fit for the future and reflect our high standards, while also preserving their unique and incredibly important history.

Nick Goodwin, CEO of HM Courts and Tribunals Service, said:

We are delighted to be opening our doors to the public to talk about the rich history of Lincoln Crown Court, show off this impressive building and the brilliant people who work there, and share all we do here at HMCTS to make sure justice is delivered.

Lincoln Crown Court will be open to visitors from 10am on Saturday 16 September.

The open day follows an announcement from the government that court buildings across the country will benefit from £220 million for essential modernisation and repair work across the next 2 years to minimise disruptions caused by old buildings.

Improvements will maintain the heritage of the courts and tribunals estate, while ensuring it is equipped with the latest technology to deliver modern justice as well as improving accessibility for all users.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 5 September 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of 15 lay panel members of disciplinary tribunals to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office.