All rise for a new justice system

Cloud-based public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), enabling remote working and court cases to be heard via video link; digital case files and jury bundles; sharing of digital evidence and smart courtrooms — There are a multitude of applications and opportunities for new technology in the justice system and this should fuel optimism, as we make progress towards meeting the ambitions of the Ministry of Justice Digital Strategy 2025 and Policing Vision 2025.

The Ministry of Justice claims modernising, retiring and migrating its legacy IT systems to the public cloud will help it accrue long-term savings of around 60% on hosting costs.¹ However, nearly half of the justice senior leaders Deloitte surveyed are dissatisfied with technology use and believe there’s much more to be done.²

Creating strong partnerships with the private sector can overcome these barriers. It’s vital the government, Ministry of Justice, Crown Prosecution Service and police draw on expertise from the tech sector and ensure that their core infrastructure is fit for purpose; otherwise, there’s a risk it won’t be able to take advantage of more innovative technologies to support keeping people safe.

One example of where collaboration with the private sector has worked successfully to create a new everyday for policing is the digital transformation of Surrey and Sussex Police. Their legacy infrastructure simply couldn’t handle the amount of data and digital services that the organisation needed with the introduction of body-worn cameras.

By implementing a software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) solution, the force is now enjoying a reduction in operating costs, improved network resilience, capacity for future growth and more time focusing on face-to-face interactions.

Digital evidence is becoming ever more important in the courtroom. The ability to display it seamlessly, in a way that renders it accessible to all parties involved, will be vital in the years ahead.

The government is implementing a common platform to equip the entire criminal justice system with a single-case management process, designed to facilitate the easy sharing of information between the police, Crown Prosecution Service and HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

Yet our research shows that merely 9% are ready to implement tech that enables the use of digital evidence — a worrying statistic, given the importance of this government initiative.

To make courtrooms fit for the modern era, the government must collaborate with those organisations that possess the specialist knowledge necessary to let courts and police forces function as efficiently as possible. It’s the connectivity infrastructure that enables and supports the transfer of large quantities of data and evidence between the key criminal justice agencies in a speedy and secure fashion. Here at Virgin Media O₂ Business, we’re the new type of digital partner you’ve been waiting for to kickstart your digital transformation journey.