The Xhibit court hearing information system is now being
used at all 99 Crown courts across England and Wales.
The system was introduced by the government to make it easier
for the police, witnesses and the wider public to keep track of
criminal cases.
Until its arrival, those ringing the courts for information
would usually have to wait for the availability of a recorder to
get a court case result, for instance.
In many cases, if a member of the public wanted information on a
hearing they weren’t involved in, the recorder wouldn’t be obliged
to divulge the information.
The new system has been rolled out in under 18 months, and
almost 20,000 hearing updates from around the country are being fed
into it. The system delivers court appearance lists, court orders,
hearing results, and other information.
The public can track hearings via an online portal or use public
display screens installed at Crown courts. The information is also
accessible via e-mail or mobile texts.
Lord Falconer, secretary of state for constitutional affairs and
lord chancellor, said, “Xhibit is an example of courts using
technology to improve the way they communicate with the public, and
adds up to a better deal for victims and witnesses in the court
process.”