New Courts Service Launched

From 1 April Crown, Magistrates and County courts in Warwickshire will be operated by a brand new executive agency created to deliver improved services to victims, witnesses and the public.

Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) will take over the operation of all courts in England and Wales, with the exception of the House of Lords. Previously the responsibility for running courts has been split between Magistrates Court Committees and the Court Service, which administered Crown and County courts.

Under HMCS a Courts Board will exist for each area, comprising members of the professional and lay judiciary, people with experience of the work of the courts and, for the first time, ordinary members of the community will also have a formal role to play in shaping and monitoring the service provided by the courts.

Commenting on the launch of HMCS Kelvin Launchbury, Area Director for Warwickshire, said: "The underlying principle of HMCS is that court services should be organised for the benefit of the people they serve - victims, witnesses, and the wider public. HMCS provides the scope to integrate the systems and resources we inherit from the Magistrates' Courts Committees and the Court Service into a single modern service which is eqipped to meet the public's needs."