System for allowing citizens to respond to a summons goes live today
Credit: Clara Molden/PA
An online system for citizens to respond to being summoned for jury service has been launched by the Ministry of Justice today.
Using the Juror Digital system, those who have been called for jury duty can go online to accept the summons or request a different date. They can also digitally authorise someone else to respond in their place.
All this information will be automatically uploaded onto courts’ systems, saving the time previously needed for staff to process responses, the MoJ said.
During a pilot scheme covering 12,000 jurors, 19% responded to their summons using the online tool within a week. This compares with just 1% who do so by retuning the existing paper form.
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Justice minister Lucy Frazer said: “It makes complete sense to move more of our court processes online to fit around our busy modern lives. This impressive new system is a great example of how we are making it quicker and easier for people to exercise their democratic duty.”
She added: “We’ve already made it possible for people to apply for a divorce, appeal a tax bill and make a small money claim online and this is the next common-sense step to continue modernising our justice system.”
For those who do not wish to use the new digital tool, the paper forms will still be available. Telephone support is also being offered for those who have difficulty using the online system.
The summons response offering is the latest piece of work in a £1bn digitisation and reform programme taking place across the courts system. Previous developments include paperless processing of fare-dodging offences, online tax appeals, and digital divorces.