Court service accused of IT bug 'cover up' after malfunction made evidence go missing
An internal report leaked to the BBC found the body took several years to react to the malfunction.
The bug was part of a case-management software used by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) agency that administers courts in England and Wales and tribunals throughout the UK.
The software is used to track cases and manage evidence before courts and is used by judges, lawyers, case workers and members of the public - it is known as Judicial Case Manager, MyHMCTS or CCD.
Sources within HMCTS say the bug led to judges in civil, family and tribunal courts making rulings on cases where evidence was incomplete.
It also found that HMCTS management decided not to inform judges and lawyers because it would be 'more likely to cause more harm than good'.
The bug also caused data to be obscured from view, meaning contact details, medical records and other evidence were at times not visible when case files were used in court.
It is thought that the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) Tribunal has been the most affected.
HMCTS says its internal investigation found no evidence that 'any case outcomes were affected as a result of these technical issues'.
The former head of the High Court's family division, Sir James Munby, told the BBC: 'These hearings often decide the fate of people's lives.
'An error could mean the difference between a child being removed from an unsafe environment or a vulnerable person missing out on benefits.'
Allegedly several sources within the HMCTS likened the situation to the Horizon Post Office scandal, with one person telling the BBC that there is a 'culture of cover-ups'.
The risk to proceedings of the bug was initially categorised as 'high' but an initial manual investigation by a team within HMCTS only reviewed a subset of the most recent three months' worth of cases heard by the SSCS Tribunal.
Only 17 per cent of cases identified as having potential issues were selected for further investigation and it was decided that the risk to all cases was low.
However, leaked documents revealed that an HMCTS employee was so concerned by the situation they complained, which led to further internal investigation.
This later report, led by a senior IT professional from the Prison Service was internally distributed in November 2024 and eventually leaked to the BBC.
It found 'large scale' data breached that should have been addressed 'as soon as they were known'.
Investigators concluded that because HMCTS had not undertaken a comprehensive investigation, the full extent of data corruption was still unknown
This included if case outcomes had been affected.
The report also said that data loss incidents continue to be raised against the IT system used by the civil, family and tribunal courts.
In a statement, an HMCTS spokesperson told the BBC that 'parties and judges involved in these cases always had access to the documents they needed'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
P&O cruise evacuated after man claims he had an ‘explosive device'
A P&O cruise ship was forced to evacuate after reports of a man 'claiming to be in possession of an explosive device.' Police were called at around 11.46am on Saturday, 9 August, to the Mayflower Cruise Ferry terminal in Southampton, Hampshire Police told People. Police erected a cordon around the 291m-long Ventura cruise ship to allow for specialist officers to search a lorry at the location. A man was later arrested on suspicion of communicating false information and a public order offence, ITV News reported. After searches concluded and no devices were found, Hampshire Police said: 'We are satisfied that there is no risk to the public and the cordon will now be lifted." One passenger, Andy Palmer, said he was already onboard the ship when he saw one man being arrested. He told the Mirror that he had just boarded Ventura and was enjoying "some lunch and a drink" when he saw below "a guy being dragged out of his car by six armed policemen". Mr Palmer said passengers were told to go to their muster points, with staff also "turning people away" from the vessel, while "a couple of thousand" were waiting to embark. The passenger said that there were people 'panicking' in a Facebook group set up for the cruise, which is due to make stops in Portugal, the Canary Islands and mainland Spain on a 14-day round trip. Before setting sail, Mr Palmer said it was 'all a bit of a worry for people that have come a long way and paid a lot of money." However, the incident ultimately did not hinder Ventura from departing from Southampton on Saturday. The over 3,000-capacity cruise is due to arrive in Funchal, Madeira on Wednesday. A P&O Cruises spokesperson confirmed that passengers were evacuated from Ventura. 'Due to a police incident and in an abundance of caution, we made the decision to evacuate Ventura and the passenger terminal on Saturday, August 9th,' they told The Independent. 'The incident was quickly resolved and normal embarkation operations resumed. 'The safety of our guests, crew and port staff is our highest priority and we are grateful for the co-operation of the authorities, as well as everyone's patience whilst the precautionary measures were in place. 'Ventura is continuing its itinerary as planned,' they added. A spokesperson for Associated British Ports, who run the Southampton terminal, said in a statement to The Independent: 'We are aware of a security incident that occurred at the Port on Saturday, 9 August. 'Police attended the scene and have since stood down. 'Normal operations at the Port have resumed. We will support any ongoing enquiries by the relevant authorities."
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Palestine Action supporters ‘will feel full force of law', justice minister says
Supporters of the banned group Palestine Action will 'feel the full force of the law', a justice minister said, as police work to secure charges following hundreds of arrests at a demonstration in London over the weekend. The protest was held at Parliament Square on Saturday, organised by Defend Our Juries, with the Metropolitan Police warning it would detain anyone expressing support for Palestine Action. The force confirmed on Sunday that 522 people were held for displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation, out of the total 532 arrests made during the policing operation. Over the coming weeks, officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command will work to put together case files and secure charges against those arrested, the force added. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones told BBC Breakfast on Monday: 'I want to thank the police for their bravery and their courage in carrying out their diligent duties in the line of public protection, and I want to state that the right to peacefully protest in this country is a cornerstone of our democracy, and of course, we respect that. 'But with regards to Palestine Action, they are a proscribed terrorist organisation and their actions have not been peaceful. 'They have violently carried out criminal damage to RAF aircraft. 'We have credible reports of them targeting Jewish-owned businesses here in the United Kingdom, and there are other reasons, which we can't disclose because of national security. 'But they are a prescribed terrorist organisation and anyone showing support for that terrorist organisation will feel the full force of the law.' The Met said they were aware of online photos and footage suggesting some people returned to Parliament Square after being released on bail, adding it would be 'entirely unrealistic' for officers to recognise these individuals. One of the bail conditions was not to attend future demonstrations related to Palestine Action, police said. 'Given the numbers of people arrested (on Saturday) it would have been entirely unrealistic for officers to recognise individuals who returned to the area,' a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said. 'Their focus was rightly on those continuing to commit offences who were still to be arrested. 'We are as confident as we can be that none of those who returned to Parliament Square re-joined the protesters who were holding placards.' Securing a charge for an offence under the Terrorism Act will, in some instances, require approval by both the Crown Prosecution Service and Attorney General Lord Hermer, police said. The majority of those arrested, 348, were aged 50 or over, according to a breakdown published by the Met on Sunday. Detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area. Those whose details could be confirmed were released on bail to appear at a police station at a future date. There were a further 10 arrests, six for assaults on officers, two for breaching Public Order Act conditions, one arrest for obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty, and one for a racially aggravated public order offence, the force said. Last week, the Met confirmed the first three charges in England and Wales for offences against Section 13 of the Terrorism Act relating to Palestine Action. The three people charged were arrested at a protest in Parliament Square on July 5. 'A further 26 case files relating to arrests on the same day are due to be submitted to the CPS imminently, with more to follow in relation to later protests,' a spokesperson for the Met added.
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Harvey Willgoose mother says son's murderer needs to be ‘made an example of'
The mother of Harvey Willgoose has said she feels sorry for the teenager who stabbed her son to death at their school, saying she believes he was 'let down', like her son. But Caroline Willgoose said she also believes the 15-year-old – who was found guilty last week of murdering Harvey, also 15, with a hunting knife at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield – needs to be 'made an example of' when he is sentenced in October. Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Monday, Mrs Willgoose was asked by Richard Madeley: 'What are your thoughts about the boy who did this?' She said: 'I feel sorry for him. Because I think he's been let down. I think Harvey's been let down. 'This shouldn't have happened. There were so many red flags. 'They must have known what he was like when his mum said that he'd took an axe in to school.' Madeley asked Mrs Willgoose what she believed the sentence should be when the defendant returns to Sheffield Crown Court on October 22. She said: 'I think he's got to be made an example of.' And she said she believe the judge should lift the order which guarantees the perpetrator's anonymity, due to his age. Harvey's sister Sophie said of the killer: 'He's a 15-year-old boy. We'd like to think that he didn't want to murder Harvey. 'He's just from a troubled background and services have let him down.' She described the trauma of the six-week long trial and how watching the CCTV of her brother being stabbed will 'haunt me forever'. The women said they are campaigning for knife arches to be installed in all secondary schools and colleges. Caroline Willgoose said: 'I know it goes a lot deeper than that. But, let's start somewhere, and then go into schools and educate children of the devastation, the pure devastation, of what this has caused.' Mrs Willgoose believes her son's death could have been prevented, especially after the killer's mother reported him having an axe. The jury in the trial also heard how the school's assistant head asked the defendant if he had anything on him which he should not hours before the murder, and the boy said he did not. Mrs Willgoose said last week: 'If you have a reason to ask that child, you've got a reason to search that child.' Asked about knife crime and the Willgooses' campaign on the same ITV programme, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said: 'It is something that terrifies me. 'I don't think anyone could have heard the testimony of Caroline and Sophie and not be moved.' Ms Davies-Jones said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is looking at the family's proposals on knife arches. She said she was 'really keen' to examine the family's experience of the criminal justice system. Steve Davies, chief executive of St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust, said on Friday: 'We think especially of Harvey's family, loved ones and friends today. We cannot begin to imagine the immeasurable impact the loss of Harvey has had on them. 'Harvey was a much-loved, positive and outgoing pupil whose memory will be cherished by all who knew him. As a community we have been devastated by his death and we continue to think of him every day. 'Harvey's death was an unimaginable tragedy for all, and one that understandably gives rise to a number of questions from his family and others. 'Now that the trial has finished, a number of investigations aimed at addressing and answering these questions will be able to proceed. We will engage fully and openly with them to help ensure every angle is considered and no key questions are left unresolved.'
