PRESS RELEASE : Family disputes to be resolved faster through extra £170 million investment into the justice system [March 2024]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 8 March 2024.
Families will benefit from new early legal advice to spare them stress of court.
- Investment into latest technology to better protect the public
- Part of digitisation drive to improve efficiency across the justice system
Thousands of families will be spared the stress of court or obtain speedier justice thanks to £56 million announced in the Spring Budget.
This will mean families can access early legal advice and resolve their disputes away from the court room, such as agreeing child arrangements, and forms part of a wider £170 million investment into the justice system announced this week.
At the same time, vulnerable families with serious safeguarding concerns such as domestic abuse and child safety will benefit from the expansion of a new model which will see increased support and a less adversarial approach in the family courts.
The investment into the justice system will increase the use of new technology and artificial intelligence to boost productivity and deliver better value to the taxpayer.
This includes streamlining probation processes to bolster public protection and better assess an offender’s risk, as well as a new online system for prison staff to make administrative tasks quicker and easier.
Increased digitisation will also save significant administrative time across the justice system ensuring frontline staff can better focus on delivering justice and keeping the public safe.
As part of the package announced this week, £100 million will be invested in measures in prison designed to support rehabilitation and cut crime, such as schemes to help offenders find work on release. The investment will also be used to hire more staff and refurbish the workshops prisoners rely on to learn the skills that will turn them away from crime.
The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, said:
This significant new investment will ensure thousands more families can access the legal advice they need to resolve their disputes as early as possible – without the trauma of courtroom battles.
It will also allow us to harness new technologies and fund innovative schemes, such a risk profiling for offenders, that will drive down reoffending and keep the public safer, while delivering better value for taxpayers and a more efficient justice system.
This announcement forms part of plans for government to deliver up to £1.8 billion worth of benefits by 2029 through a total £800 million investment.
