Xinhua, London :
Britain will invest 375 million pounds (624 million U.S. dollars) between 2015 and 2020 to “modernize” nearly 3,000 courtrooms in the country in a bid to reduce financial costs and deliver better judicial services in the digital age, British Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said Friday.
The British Treasury has agreed a one-off package of investment averaging up to 75 million pounds per year over the five years from 2015/16, which will be used to upgrade and modernize the country’s courts and tribunals for all users, the MoJ said.
Much of the estate and technology relied upon by British Courts and Tribunals Service is ageing, with staff time being wasted on outdated manual data entry and paper-based processes, the ministry said.
Very little is available through digital channels and the taxpayers continue to bear the escalating financial costs associated with manual systems, it added.
The investment will be used to update technology in courts and tribunals, set up an online self-service system, introduce greater digital working, cut the reliance on manual entry, speed up working processes and reduce delays, according to the ministry.
“This new investment will help cement our system as one of the best in the world, ensure the sustainability of the system and deliver value for money for hardworking taxpayers,” British Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said.
It is estimated the reform program can help the taxpayers save more than 100 million pounds every year by 2019/20, according to the MoJ. The British Courts and Tribunals Service is an executive agency of the British Ministry of Justice. Its estate consists of around 500 court and tribunal buildings, with approximately 3,000 courtrooms in Britain.
