Law Weblog

New name for Court Service

The Court Service and independent magistrates courts are to merge into a single executive agency called ‘Her Majesty’s Courts Service’ (HMCS).
HMCS will come into effect from April 2005.
In his Review of the Criminal Justice System in 2001, Sir Robin Auld recommended a “single and nationally funded administrative structure, but one providing significant local autonomy and accountability.”
The Courts Act 2003 makes the necessary statutory changes to allow the creation of HMCS as a new executive agency.