The HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published its Remote Participation Approach document, outlining the current strategy for remote participation in court and tribunal hearings across England, Scotland and Wales. The document highlights that judges currently decide on a case-by-case basis whether remote participation is appropriate, without formal guidelines, emphasising the need for developing such guidelines. It outlines the benefits of remote hearings, such as increased accessibility for vulnerable participants and reduced costs, while acknowledging challenges like inconsistent application across regions. HMCTS plans to enhance technological capabilities, improve data collection and commission academic research to inform future guidelines, focusing on a data-driven approach. The ultimate goal is to develop a more consistent and effective use of remote hearings, aligning with government objectives to improve access to justice. This document serves as a roadmap for future developments, aiming to establish clear guidelines to support judicial decision-making and ensure uniformity across jurisdictions.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has announced a delay in the implementation of new Practice Directions for Employment Tribunals (ET) in England, Wales, and Scotland. In an email circulated to national user group members, HMCTS advised that the Practice Directions, originally scheduled to coincide with the ET Procedure Rules 2025 on 6 January 2025, are now expected in February 2025. The directions will introduce changes to the presentation of claims, responses, and statutory appeals, including restrictions on email submissions of ET3 response forms. Presidents Judge Clarke and Judge Walker reminded members that the existing Practice Directions on presentation of claims and the interim joint Practice Direction on the presentation of responses remain in force until the new ones take effect. A five-week grace period will follow the promulgation of the new Practice Direction, during which professional representatives are strongly encouraged to register for the MyHMCTS service.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published details of the courts and tribunals opening times for the 2025 Christmas and New Year period.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published a collection of Business and Property Division forms which contains links to forms for use in this Division.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published Form PA17 for legal professionals named in a will as an executor and who are a partner, member, shareholder or director in a firm. The form allows a legal professional to give up their role permanently as an executor to get probate to manage the estate of someone who has died.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Crown Prosecution Service and HMCTS, supported by the Judicial Office of England and Wales. The MoU sets out operational arrangements for police officers and police staff giving evidence by live video link in criminal proceedings, where authorised by the court, in support of the Lady Chief Justice’s guidance on Live Links in Criminal Courts. From 1 October 2026, a prior application will not ordinarily be required where attendance falls within the presumptive framework set out in that guidance, while applications outside the framework should be made in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, SI 2025/909 and applicable court processes. The MoU creates no legally binding obligations and does not override statutory or procedural requirements or judicial discretion.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published a blog, ‘Looking at the future of remote hearings’, where it discusses the Video Hearings Service (VHS) and how this has changed the way to prepare for hearings. HMCTS has highlighted the benefits of the VHS including secure, private meeting rooms for judicial office holders to deliberate and secure meeting rooms to hold pre-hearing consultations and negotiations. HMCTS has also said that it plans to roll out the VHS nationally from Autumn 2024, with it already being used in the civil and family jurisdiction and in a number of courts and tribunals in property, tax, employment and immigration and criminal matters. In respect of criminal matters, the HMCTS is testing the VHS in Chester Crown Court to deal with the specific processes and requirements of criminal hearings. In the blog, HMCTS has also said that participants in the VHS are sent letters in advance to provide information and instructions about the hearings.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published a blog setting out the progress that has been made towards its vision for reform. HMCTS has said that Common Platform is operational in all criminal courts in England and Wales and the system has managed over 1.3 million cases. HMCTS has commented on its refocused priorities, improvements to the Common Platform, its decision to keep the Digital Case System and its aim for continuous improvement.

HMCTS has published a blog post announcing plans to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout courts and tribunals. HMCTS is developing a comprehensive AI Adoption Plan in line with the Ministry of Justice's AI Action Plan for Justice. Key pilot programs currently underway include AI-powered transcription and summarisation tools, automated judgment anonymisation systems and AI-enabled case management search capabilities. HMCTS emphasises that all AI initiatives will be governed by service-specific responsible AI principles tailored to the unique demands of the justice environment. Additionally, the deployment of AI will be implemented only where it demonstrably adds value and effectively supports human judgment in justice matters.

HMCTS has published a blog post announcing a new podcast episode about probate application procedures. The blog introduces the episode featuring HMCTS experts discussing both online and paper-based probate applications, covering application requirements, common errors, and processing timelines. This forms part of HMCTS's ongoing efforts to provide accessible information about court processes.

Dispute Resolution analysis: HM Courts & Tribunal Service (HMCTS) has published contact details for using the online claims services: the Damages claims pilot under CPR PD 51ZB (DCP) and the Online money claims pilot under CPR PD 51R (OCMC). The details also include examples of specific scenarios which might arise when starting and managing online claims using these services. Users of the services are asked to use only the relevant email addresses for queries.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has published new guidance for IT professionals who support access to the Cloud Video Platform (CVP) from a corporate network. The guidance includes HMCTS' firewall rules and information on cameras and microphones, real-time media, browsers and IP addresses.