Courts and Tribunals Observers’ Network

Back in September 2023, members of this network provided written submissions to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on open justice. We collected and published some of them on this site. Every so often, we ask each other whether anyone has heard anything more, but no-one has. Obviously, there has since been a change in Government, but a report should still follow.

Helpfully, a Parliamentary Question was tabled by Lloyd Hatton MP, to which the Government has now responded. TL;DR: they are considering next steps.

The question can be read here https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/1736982 and is pasted below:

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her planned timetable is to respond to her Department’s consultation entitled Open Justice: the way forward which closed on 7 September 2023. (11138)

Tabled on: 24 October 2024

Answer:
Heidi Alexander [Minister of State at the MOJ]

The Ministry of Justice ran a Call for Evidence from 11 May to 7 September 2023 under the previous Government. It was the first system-wide public assessment on open justice and transparency in over ten years. The consultation received a wide volume of responses that are being carefully analysed and I am considering next steps. I would like to express my thanks to all stakeholders who contributed their views, which will inform future policy developments and priorities in this essential area.

The answer was submitted on 01 Nov 2024 at 10:59.