London, 10 January /PRNewswire-GNN/ -- HM COURT
SERVICE News Release (01/07) issued by The Government News Network on 10 January
2007
New courts charters outlining the standard of service court users can expect
have today been published by Her Majesty's Courts Service.
The charters set a consistent standard of service across all Crown, County,
Magistrates' Courts, the Probate Service and Royal Courts of Justice. They
provide information on what court users can expect when attending as a claimant,
juror, victim, witness, defendant or any member of the public.
The charters were developed following consultation with key stakeholders and
courts users about how courts could be made more user-friendly. Each court aims
to provide an excellent, courteous service with fair and equal treatment for all
users, regardless of age, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, gender or religious
beliefs.
Charters include the following standards:
* people attending the court can expect support and assistance from staff;
* set opening times for the public counter and hearing centres;
* standards for telephone answering and responding to correspondence;
* familiarisation visits to a courtroom can be arranged before a hearing and
seating reserved for friends and family; in some circumstances;
* special support is provided for children and vulnerable/intimidated witnesses
so the process is as stress-free as possible; and
* standard response times to resolve complaints.
The charters also provide information on other agencies involved in the justice
system.
Chief Executive of HMCS Sir Ron De Witt said:
'We aim to deliver the best possible courts service to the public and these
charters set out exactly the standard of service that court users can expect and
will serve as a benchmark to measure that service. The charters will help the
courts to better serve their communities by increasing understanding of how the
courts operate, resulting in a better relationship between courts and users.'
The Charters can be downloaded from the HMCS Website and are available from
courts.
Contact:
Rachel Clark