Digital 'Make A Plea' system
Discussion
Caught driving using a mobile phone? Simply text your guilty plea with new app. Caught driving using a mobile phone? Simply ...
"A new digital service will allow people charged with minor motoring offences to make a plea online at a time and place of their choosing. The service is the latest stage of on-going government work to modernise the courts, and other public services, to provide simpler access for users and better value for taxpayers.
The new ‘Make a Plea’ service will begin to be rolled out across England and Wales from March, following a successful pilot in Greater Manchester. People charged with summary motoring offences, like speeding, failing to identify the driver or using a vehicle without insurance, will be able to use the clear, concise, secure and easy to use website to respond to charges against them.
Shailesh Vara, Courts Minister said:
Digital technology gives us an opportunity to make the justice system simpler, clearer and faster - and part of this means reducing or removing the unnecessary movement of paper, and people, around the system. The new ‘Make a Plea’ service is reducing case time and costs for the courts and the police, ensuring that they can focus on the most complex cases. It makes it easy, simple and quick for people to access justice.
Wider modernisation of the courts has included investing £160 million in digital technology for courtrooms including video links, wifi and improved IT systems to end the system’s reliance on paper. Some of the highest volume work that the police, prosecution and courts deal with is low level traffic offences. The latest annual statistics show proceedings were taken for half a million summary motoring offences.
These cases take up large amounts of court time despite, in many cases, the offender either pleading guilty by post or their case being proven in absence when they do not attend or contact the court. The new digital system means defendants will be able to make their plea from any suitable device 24 hours a day through the secure website. The service is offered as an alternative to a postal plea or attending court and has been developed with court users to meet their needs.
Identifying and concluding guilty plea cases earlier saves work and money for the criminal justice system and taxpayers. ‘Make a Plea’ also saves time and simplifies the process for defendants as well as making sure they receive maximum credit from the court for pleading guilty at the earliest possible point.
During the pilot in Manchester nearly a third of people used the digital service to make a plea. Making better use of digital technology is a key government objective and ‘Make A Plea’ is the latest of a number of simple and effective solutions that are being developed across the Justice system. Consideration is now being given to whether the service could be used for other low level crimes.
Wider modernisation of the courts has included investing £160 million in digital technology for courtrooms including video links, wifi and improved IT systems to end the system’s reliance on paper."
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/digital-make-a-...
"A new digital service will allow people charged with minor motoring offences to make a plea online at a time and place of their choosing. The service is the latest stage of on-going government work to modernise the courts, and other public services, to provide simpler access for users and better value for taxpayers.
The new ‘Make a Plea’ service will begin to be rolled out across England and Wales from March, following a successful pilot in Greater Manchester. People charged with summary motoring offences, like speeding, failing to identify the driver or using a vehicle without insurance, will be able to use the clear, concise, secure and easy to use website to respond to charges against them.
Shailesh Vara, Courts Minister said:
Digital technology gives us an opportunity to make the justice system simpler, clearer and faster - and part of this means reducing or removing the unnecessary movement of paper, and people, around the system. The new ‘Make a Plea’ service is reducing case time and costs for the courts and the police, ensuring that they can focus on the most complex cases. It makes it easy, simple and quick for people to access justice.
Wider modernisation of the courts has included investing £160 million in digital technology for courtrooms including video links, wifi and improved IT systems to end the system’s reliance on paper. Some of the highest volume work that the police, prosecution and courts deal with is low level traffic offences. The latest annual statistics show proceedings were taken for half a million summary motoring offences.
These cases take up large amounts of court time despite, in many cases, the offender either pleading guilty by post or their case being proven in absence when they do not attend or contact the court. The new digital system means defendants will be able to make their plea from any suitable device 24 hours a day through the secure website. The service is offered as an alternative to a postal plea or attending court and has been developed with court users to meet their needs.
Identifying and concluding guilty plea cases earlier saves work and money for the criminal justice system and taxpayers. ‘Make a Plea’ also saves time and simplifies the process for defendants as well as making sure they receive maximum credit from the court for pleading guilty at the earliest possible point.
During the pilot in Manchester nearly a third of people used the digital service to make a plea. Making better use of digital technology is a key government objective and ‘Make A Plea’ is the latest of a number of simple and effective solutions that are being developed across the Justice system. Consideration is now being given to whether the service could be used for other low level crimes.
Wider modernisation of the courts has included investing £160 million in digital technology for courtrooms including video links, wifi and improved IT systems to end the system’s reliance on paper."
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/digital-make-a-...
With all these cost savings maybe they could afford to reduce the fines 
Whoooosh!
I haven't seen the page, but does it have a selection of standard mitigation arguments from which to choose as well?
1. - I don't know the village and assumed it was a 60 mph limit.
2. X It is a hire car and much more powerful than I am used to.
3. - I was speeding to hospital with my heavily pregnant wife.
4. - I need the car for work / to give my elderly mother a lift to the shops.
etc.
Whoooosh!I haven't seen the page, but does it have a selection of standard mitigation arguments from which to choose as well?
1. - I don't know the village and assumed it was a 60 mph limit.
2. X It is a hire car and much more powerful than I am used to.
3. - I was speeding to hospital with my heavily pregnant wife.
4. - I need the car for work / to give my elderly mother a lift to the shops.
etc.
I was half listening to this on Chris Evans' news this morning.
I heard blah blah, and "and it saves a lot of hassle for the courts dealing with the post."
Well I'm so sorry if we cause hassle for the courts matey boy, perhaps there would be a lot less hassle for everyone if they got rid of all the sneaky ways to nick people generally doing not a lot wrong!
I heard blah blah, and "and it saves a lot of hassle for the courts dealing with the post."
Well I'm so sorry if we cause hassle for the courts matey boy, perhaps there would be a lot less hassle for everyone if they got rid of all the sneaky ways to nick people generally doing not a lot wrong!
This software is just a template for the full version that is to be rolled out to everybody in 2016
its called "Fine Roulette", every day we will each be required to run the app once to see if we have been given a random fine, there is a double or quits feature which you can gamble on, be warned thou if you win the cash cow bailiffs will come to your house that day demanding £900 instead of the basic £100 fine
its called "Fine Roulette", every day we will each be required to run the app once to see if we have been given a random fine, there is a double or quits feature which you can gamble on, be warned thou if you win the cash cow bailiffs will come to your house that day demanding £900 instead of the basic £100 fine
andygo said:
I was half listening to this on Chris Evans' news this morning.
I heard blah blah, and "and it saves a lot of hassle for the courts dealing with the post."
Well I'm so sorry if we cause hassle for the courts matey boy, perhaps there would be a lot less hassle for everyone if they got rid of all the sneaky ways to nick people generally doing not a lot wrong!
How about saving time for the person who got caught? I heard blah blah, and "and it saves a lot of hassle for the courts dealing with the post."
Well I'm so sorry if we cause hassle for the courts matey boy, perhaps there would be a lot less hassle for everyone if they got rid of all the sneaky ways to nick people generally doing not a lot wrong!
Saves a trip to the nearest post box, don't have to put a stamp on it etc, can do it at home while watching Corrie.
Ki3r said:
How about saving time for the person who got caught?
Saves a trip to the nearest post box, don't have to put a stamp on it etc, can do it at home while watching Corrie.
The existing system doesn't require a trip to the post box - as courts accept pleas by email. However, surrender of your driving licence is usually required (which does) and I'm unclear about how an app would change that. Counterparts aren't abolished until 8.6.2015 so the app seems a little premature? Also, about 9 million people have a paper licence. Saves a trip to the nearest post box, don't have to put a stamp on it etc, can do it at home while watching Corrie.
agtlaw said:
Ki3r said:
How about saving time for the person who got caught?
Saves a trip to the nearest post box, don't have to put a stamp on it etc, can do it at home while watching Corrie.
The existing system doesn't require a trip to the post box - as courts accept pleas by email. However, surrender of your driving licence is usually required (which does) and I'm unclear about how an app would change that. Counterparts aren't abolished until 8.6.2015 so the app seems a little premature? Also, about 9 million people have a paper licence. Saves a trip to the nearest post box, don't have to put a stamp on it etc, can do it at home while watching Corrie.
I'm just trying to think why I would try to make things easier for the courts system.............
agtlaw said:
The existing system doesn't require a trip to the post box - as courts accept pleas by email. However, surrender of your driving licence is usually required (which does) and I'm unclear about how an app would change that. Counterparts aren't abolished until 8.6.2015 so the app seems a little premature? Also, about 9 million people have a paper licence.
Ah didn't know that you could plead via email! Dave Hedgehog said:
This software is just a template for the full version that is to be rolled out to everybody in 2016
its called "Fine Roulette", every day we will each be required to run the app once to see if we have been given a random fine, there is a double or quits feature which you can gamble on, be warned thou if you win the cash cow bailiffs will come to your house that day demanding £900 instead of the basic £100 fine
I wouldn't put it past them , Britain isn't much fun these days .its called "Fine Roulette", every day we will each be required to run the app once to see if we have been given a random fine, there is a double or quits feature which you can gamble on, be warned thou if you win the cash cow bailiffs will come to your house that day demanding £900 instead of the basic £100 fine
I came across this trying to find out what was going on with Operation Daybreak whistle blower Melanie Shaw:
https://twitter.com/znottingham
She appeared via videolink from a prison, didn't attend the court in person.
I like how that link mentions 'friendly'. Perhaps given the Make a Plea system the innocuous looking white ovoid should be gold coloured?
https://twitter.com/znottingham
She appeared via videolink from a prison, didn't attend the court in person.
I like how that link mentions 'friendly'. Perhaps given the Make a Plea system the innocuous looking white ovoid should be gold coloured?
This is going the wrong way I fear - people widely view fines for breaking the law as just another cost of motoring, and making it possible to please guilty from your iPhone whilst making a cup of tea just cements that.
You should have to attend your day in court to plead guilty, and that court should be on the Isle of Mann.
You should have to attend your day in court to plead guilty, and that court should be on the Isle of Mann.
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