VIRTUAL TOURS BRING CROWN COURTS TO THE PUBLIC

16 May 2002 09:44 AM

Jurors and other members of the public will be able to take 'walk through' tours of crown courts around the country from today and all at the click of a button.

CJS Online, the website of the criminal justice system, has added 14 new virtual tours, including a number of Welsh language versions, to its innovative 'Juror Online' service. Users will now be able to choose from a total of 16 tours - featuring crown courts from Chester to Woolwich - by logging on to www.juror.cjsonline.org

The tours use pictures, sound and text to guide users through the physical environment of the court buildings and courtrooms, and introduce them to the proceedings they would go through when undertaking jury service. The tours are designed to provide useful information to prospective jurors and for those with a general interest in criminal justice, and can be used as an educational tool. A text version is also available.

The extension of the Juror Online service forms part of a complete redesign and upgrading of the CJS Online website, which links criminal justice agencies, with the aim of making the site easier to use and more focused on the needs of the citizen. It demonstrates the Government's drive to use new technology to help modernise the criminal justice system and make it more accessible.

Home Office Minister Keith Bradley today launched the new tours at the ACPO 2002 International Police exhibition in Birmingham.

Keith Bradley said:

"We are determined to make the criminal justice system more open and transparent and utilising new technology is a key part of making the system more accessible to the people it serves.

"Taking part in jury service can be a daunting experience but those who do are making a valuable contribution to the community. The virtual tours will help jurors familiarise themselves with crucial elements of the role before they enter the court building. We have had an extremely positive response to the first virtual tour launched in December and expanding the service to include a range of regional crown courts is part of our drive to make the site even more responsive and relevant to users."

Chief Executive of the Court Service Ian Magee said:

"Few jurors will ever have stepped inside a court before their first day of jury service. I hope the virtual tour will help to demystify the process, providing jurors with a realistic walk-through of what jury service will be like.

"We already have a high satisfaction rate amongst jurors with 95% either satisfied or very satisfied with their treatment by the court and we are committed to maintaining and building on that achievement. The virtual tour has the advantage of providing the information jurors need when they want it and is a valuable addition to the support we already provide in the form of a leaflet, information on our website and a national call centre which handles their enquiries."

Around half a million jurors are summoned to participate in trials each year, and leaflets advertising the virtual tours will be included in every summons issued by the Jury Central Summoning Bureau.

From today members of the public will be able to choose to tour any of the following courts:

Generic Crown Court (Welsh language version available)
Bristol Crown Court
Cardiff Crown Court (Welsh language version available)
Central Criminal Court
Chester Crown Court
Liverpool Crown Court
Manchester Crown Court Crown Square
Mold Crown Court (Welsh language version available)
Newcastle Crown Court
Snaresbrook Crown Court
Southampton Crown Court
Southwark Crown Court
Teesside Crown Court
Winchester Crown Court
Wolverhampton Crown Court
Woolwich Crown Court

Today's launch follows the success of the first two Juror Online virtual tours - of a generic court and of Southwark Crown Court - launched last December. Since the introduction of Juror Online the number of people visiting the CJS Online website has jumped from 12,000 a month to around 650,000 a month and feedback from members of the public using the site has shown a satisfaction rating of 98%. Typical comments include:

"When I received my summons to attend Jury service I think, quite naturally, I was very nervous and thought why me. However, I found this site very helpful and it put my mind at ease about what was expected of me. I completed my jury service successfully and it wasn't as daunting when I arrived on my first day as it could have been. Thank you."

Mrs DC from Derbyshire

"I was really nervous and apprehensive about my jury service that is about to begin as I have never been in a courtroom before. With the excellent tour, I now feel much more at ease."

Mr LB from Newcastle-upon-Tyne

"It was very useful and has allayed some of the apprehension I felt on being called to jury service."

Mrs HJ from Chester

"Excellently produced site! I finished my first Court Service yesterday. Visiting your site helped to familiarise myself with what to expect before the event."

Mr BE from Bedford

Notes to Editors:

1. The tours are hosted on the CJS Online website, www.cjsonline.org, which provides an integrated information and gateway service to the six main criminal justice agencies - the Court Service, the Prison Service, Police Service, Probation Service, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Lord Chancellor's Department - as well as related organisations such as the Youth Justice Board and Victim Support.

2. CJS Online provides information for all those with an interest in the criminal justice system, whether involved in the system professionally or as volunteers, citizens who come into contact with the system as jurors, victims or witnesses, or those simply seeking general information about the criminal justice process.

3. Further information about jury service is also available on the Court Service website: www.courtservice.gov.uk

4. A virtual courtroom tour for victims and witnesses was launched on 11 October 2001 by the Suffolk Crown Court Witness Management Service. For further information see press release 344/01 on the Lord Chancellor's Department website www.lcd.gov.uk

5. Juror Online was originally developed in partnership with British Telecom Consulting and Gallomanor. The 14 new crown court tours, including Welsh language versions, have been developed in partnership with Fujitsu Consulting. The tours use a combination of XML, Macromedia Flash MX and HTML.