Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

For many years it has been possible to start a small money claim by completing forms on-line and submitting them to the court.

In April 2018, following a pilot launched in July 2017, a new on-line process for making a money claim with a value of up to £10,000 (the current small claims limit)  has been launched, designed to be easier to use by potential claimants. Rather than having to fill in and post a paper form, or use the original on-line system which dated from 2002, the new pilot allows people to issue their County Court claim more easily, settle the dispute online and also recommends mediation services  (which can save time, stress, and money).

According to the Press Release announcing this decision “Early evidence [from the original pilot] suggests that the online system has improved access to justice as engagement from defendants has improved.”

At present, it seems that the only way that one can see how the new process works in practice is to go on-line and submit the details of a potential claim – this includes setting up a special account. What I think is urgently required is one of those ‘how to’ videos that are available on You Tube. (There are videos with this or similar titles but they don’t specifically refer to the new MoJ scheme.)

The press release announcing the development is at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/quicker-way-to-resolve-claim-disputes-launched-online.

If you would like to explore the money claim website more fully, it can be found at https://www.gov.uk/make-money-claim