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Courts Charter

PRNewswire-GNN London 10 January, 2007

 

Contact: Rachel Clark

020 7340 6698
www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk
 

 

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
020 7340 6698
www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk