Crown Prosecution Service plans to go "paperless"

December 09, 2011 at 9:07 AM

The Crown Prosecution Service plans to go "paperless" and replace all paper documents with electronic communications in a bid to save £50 million by 2014/2015. They had hoped to go paperless by April 2012. Whilst this sounds like a laudable ambition it has met with a significant amount of criticism, particularly from criminal practitioners who have deep concerns about the costs and affordability of such a scheme.  Their concerns include the lack of wireless internet access in Courts, and the difficulties in taking computers and other electronic devices into Courts. There are also concerns about the security of cloud-based email systems. BLB is one of the leading firms in the South West undertaking criminal defence work and we provide expert advice across the whole breadth of criminal law.