Chief Justice Frank Clarke

Ambitious plans to expand the use of technology in the courts system were set out yesterday as the Courts Service launched its three-year strategic plan, forming the “first tranche of a decade of modernisation”.

In a major indicator of the changes to come, the Courts Service said it now “envisages a future of ‘hybrid courts’, blending the old traditions of the physical courtrooms with digital courts as appropriate”.

Chief Justice Frank Clarke, who chairs the Courts Service board, said: “It is almost a cliché to say that we live in a fast-changing and increasingly challenging world.

“Even before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic we, in the Courts Service, had identified the need to plan strategically over the next decade for the implementation of a modern fit-for-purpose and cost effective court system which will contribute towards making access to justice easier.”

He added: “The world and nation are amidst a sea change, within which our role is to ensure that the justice sector makes it a time of renaissance not resistance.”

Measures to be taken during the lifetime of the three-year plan include making domestic violence applications remotely accessible, removing the requirement for them to be made in person at a building; jury summons management to be included in an online system for interaction with those summonsed for duty; attendance at court office by appointment, rather than by queuing; expanding cashless payments at court offices; and the roll-out of a debt claims system online.

At a strategic level, the Courts Service is focusing on working closely with ministers to implement the new structure for family justice identified in the Programme for Government; maximising the opportunities for an increase in international dispute resolution in Ireland post-Brexit; and implementing measures to improve sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint of the courts.

Angela Denning, CEO of the Courts Service, said: “The current pandemic has caused the Courts Service to accelerate the adoption of new ways of operating. It has provided a significant impetus to do so, as well as very considerable learning about what is likely to work or not work in the medium term.

“The Courts Service is now at a critical moment where planning future approaches will come to an end and the implementation of our ambitious 10-year plan will begin.”