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The chief executive of HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), Nick Goodwin, has issued an apology for not informing ministers and judges sooner about a technical malfunction that resulted in the loss, overwriting, or disappearance of important evidence. In a letter addressed to the chair of the Commons’ Justice Committee, Goodwin acknowledged that the issue should have been escalated earlier.
This revelation follows a BBC report from August uncovering a software defect within the Core Case Data (CCD) system, which has been in use since 2018 across civil, family, and tribunal courts in England and Wales. The fault, known as a “concurrency” bug, affected the case-management software operated by HMCTS, a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) agency responsible for managing the courts and tribunals in the UK.
The concurrency problem arose when multiple users accessed the same case file at the same time, causing some documents to be hidden or alterations not properly saved. This flaw primarily impacted the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) tribunal, which handles benefit appeals. While the bug itself was identified in 2023, some related technical difficulties had been noted as far back as 2020. The consequences meant documents crucial to tribunal hearings could be missing from view, potentially influencing judicial decisions.
Goodwin’s letter detailed that the issue was rectified earlier this year. However, an independent review of over 700,000 SSCS cases from 2018 to 2025 found 1,389 potentially affected files. Of these, ten cases had documents missing and are currently under judicial examination to assess whether the outcomes were compromised. Goodwin expressed regret for the delay in recognizing and addressing the problem, stating, “I am sorry that we did not identify these cases and take action to refer them back to the judiciary sooner.” Meanwhile, Alex Chalk, who served as justice secretary until July 2024, said he had never been informed about the issue, criticizing the agency’s reluctance to disclose the problem promptly. One of the affected cases lacked a crucial document that could have influenced its verdict, and those involved have been offered the chance to have the case reheard. For seven other cases, too much time has elapsed to properly determine their status, but these too will be referred to judges and relevant parties contacted.
Regarding regulatory oversight, Goodwin noted that notifying the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice rather than HMCTS. The ICO has since raised several questions, which HMCTS is currently addressing
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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