Project Overview
An HMCTS-contracted digital supplier building a pilot digital witness management system for Crown Courts — ena...
Technology Stack
Compliance & Standards
The Challenge
An HMCTS-contracted digital supplier building a pilot digital witness management system for Crown Courts — enabling witnesses and victims to receive digital notifications, choose evidence-in-chief format (live appearance, pre-recorded cross-examination, video link), and receive support service referrals. UK GDPR for victim/witness personal data, Victims' Code 2020, Witness Charter, GDS Service Standard, WCAG 2.1 AA (PSBAR), and the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 were mandatory. Budget: £70,000.
Our Approach
Code 2020 Digital Implementation
Victims'
Code 2020
12 rights for victims of crime.
Key digital rights
Right 1 (information about progress of case), Right 3 (referral to support services within 5 working days), Right 8 (information about the trial).
Digital notification
GOV.UK Notify SMS/email — case milestone notifications (charge authorised, hearing date set, trial outcome).
Support service referral
- automated referral within 5 working days of report (Victim Support, ISVA for sexual violence, IDVAs for domestic abuse — tailored by offence type).
- Pre-Recorded Cross-Examination (Section 28):
Section 28 Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999
vulnerable witnesses (under 18, mental health, sexual offence victims) can have cross-examination pre-recorded before trial.
Platform
- Section 28 eligibility assessment (special measure application), pre-recording appointment booking (HMCTS Booking Service API), digital evidence submission (upload pre-recording to platform → secure transfer to court), and trial substitute playback scheduling (clerk marks pre-recording for jury playback during trial).
- UK GDPR Victim Data —
Victim data
personal data relating to criminal offences (Article 10 UK GDPR) — highest sensitivity.
Processing basis
Article 6(1)(e) public task + Article 10 criminal offence data.
Data minimisation
witness system receives only data necessary for witness management — not full prosecution case file.
Access control
witness support officer sees their assigned witnesses only.
Retention
witness contact data deleted 6 months after case conclusion (Victims' Code data management guidance).
GDS Service Assessment Beta pass criteria
- user research with victims and witnesses (particularly vulnerable groups — trauma-informed research approach), accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA + cognitive accessibility for distressed users), and performance (<
- 3 second load time).
- ClickMasters designed with trauma-informed principles: clear, simple language, no unexpected questions, easy exit from process at any point, and explicit support information on every page.
- NVDA/VoiceOver testing with users who have a disability.
The Results
GDS Beta assessment: passed first attempt.
Platform live at 12 weeks, £64,000 — under budget.
Victims' Code Right 3 compliance (support referral within 5 working days): 97% (target: 90%).
Case milestone notification delivery: 99.2% (SMS + email).
Section 28 pre-recording bookings processed: 340 in pilot.
Victim satisfaction with digital process: 4.1/5 (significant given inherent distress of criminal process).
WCAG 2.1 AA: zero non-compliances.
HMCTS extended pilot to 4 additional Crown Courts.
“97% Victims' Code Right 3 compliance — support referral within 5 working days for 97% of victims. That is the metric that matters in justice. Victim satisfaction 4.1 out of 5 in the context of criminal proceedings is remarkable. GDS Beta first attempt. HMCTS expanding to 4 more Crown Courts." — Programme Director, HMCTS Digital (name withheld)”
Project Details
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