Credit: Steve Parsons/PA

HM Courts and Tribunals Service has signed a £5m contract for the delivery of a scheme to transform the its services through the use of digital tools.

The deal focuses on the CFT Programme, which addresses the reform of services delivered by civil and family courts and tribunals. Such transformation will be achieved “through the design and delivery of new digital services”.

“These digital services are being developed within a coherent architecture which maximises reuse, and to support the resolution of civil, family and tribunal cases fairly and speedily, providing new routes to justice that fulfil the ambition of an ‘online court’,” HMCTS said.

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Support in constructing these services will be provided by digital agency Engine Partners, which has been awarded a £5m contract which came into effect on 10 August and last for two years.

Work on transformation of the civil, family and tribunals services forms part of a wider reform of the justice system that intends to make increasing use of online tools and digital platforms.

“The HMCTS reform programme is responsible for delivering the future HMCTS operating model through a portfolio of programmes aimed at delivering pioneering judicial services that better serve the public,” the courts service said. “The reform programme includes modernising the court estate, utilising the latest technology to digitise services where appropriate, speeding up and streamlining working practices, refurbishing buildings to reduce maintenance costs and providing much improved services for users, especially vulnerable witnesses and victims.”