The national rollout of Xhibit, a network linking 101 Crown Courts and criminal justice agencies, began on 15 December 2004. The scheme, designed by EDS will allow people to track court proceedings online, by SMS or by pager; the intention is to reduce the time spent waiting to give evidence. The system will also link to the Police National Computer, which will receive information from Crown Courts such as case results, bail orders and bench warrants.
The development has been hailed by the Courts minister, Christopher Leslie, who said: “We estimate that some 80,000 extra days of policing a year will be a huge benefit from this new technology. The national rollout of Xhibit is a clear example of courts using technology to improve the reality and perception of the criminal justice system.”
The system had previously undergone an 18-month pilot at Snaresbrook Crown Court in East London, after which a full rollout was approved. The network is expected to be complete by 2006.