As part of the £1bn reforms to modernise the UK justice system Birmingham has been given an £8.12m makeover to bring it firmly into the digital age

Birmingham is one of the busiest courts in the country and is therefore responsible for a large volume of cases, so it was deemed the best area to trial the new system.

The Birmingham site now has 12 new courtrooms and 19 new judiciary rooms. The entire building has 60 judges and 223 members of staff making it a hub of activity.

There are many services that can now been applied for online, meaning time is saved for those applying these include:

  • Filing for divorce
  • Challenging rogue traders
  • Making a tax appeal
  • Pleas for low-level motoring offences

The courts all have wi-fi this enables case officers and solicitors to access to secure files without the need to carry them all in paper format and they can be easily transferred and viewed.

The new courts have the ability to host live video links which can be particularly useful for police and victims who are vulnerable as they can give evidence via a livestream and there is no need for them to physically be present for questioning.

The courts also enable digital sharing and presentation of evidence. This can be particularly useful when presenting evidence as it enables everyone to see the same evidence including the defendant and this can often when powerful enough change the plea.

Address of the new courts:

Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Hearing Centre Priory Courts 33 Bull Street Birmingham West Midlands B4 6DS