Inland Revenue: Criminal Evidence Project

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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project
Invest to Save Criminal Evidence Project John
Evans
John Evans Project Manager IR Business Services,
Telford Phone [phone] e-mail
John.P.Evans_at_ir.gsi.gov.uk
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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project

• The Criminal Evidence Project
• Commissioned by IR Solicitors Office to identify
  and implement IT based systems to
• Scan Criminal Evidence and store in electronic
  form
• Prepare Criminal cases using IT
• Provide evidence to counsel and defendants in
  electronic form
• Present evidence in the Courts using
  electronic technology - Electronic
• Presentation of Evidence (EPE)

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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project

• Background
• Increasing time and cost required to present
  complex fraud trials
• Trials involve thousands of exhibits -
  vanloads of paper
• All has to be presented and managed in Court
• Need to improve presentation of evidence and
  understanding by juries
• Emergence of new technology for preparation
  and presentation
• Potential for savings Courts, Counsel and
  Prosecuting Agencies
• Drive towards adoption of e-services wherever
  possible and appropriate

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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project

• Major Events Phase 1
• September / October 1998 - Pilot trial using
  Electronic Presentation of Evidence
• (EPE) - Southwark Crown Court
• November 1998 - ISB Case to HM Treasury
• February 1999 - May 2000 - Investigations and
  Feasibility
• January 2001 - Acquisition and Installation of
  Initial Systems
• 2001/02 - Initial live operation and pilot
  trials in Courts - Programme of
• familiarisation and education for Counsel
  and Judiciary
• May 2002 - ISB Case Study Review for HM
  Treasury by SQW Consultants

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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project

• Business Issues
• Detailed requirements emerging during
  investigation
• User Resistance to new technology
• Counsel and Judiciary
• In-house
• Identifying benefits across different
  prosecuting agencies
• Equipping suitable Courts for EPE
• Co-ordination with Court Services and other
  Prosecuting Agencies
• Identifying and mounting suitable pilot trials

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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project

• IT Issues
• Bespoke or off-the-shelf software?
• Single supplier end-to-end? - Or separate
  products for
• Scanning Evidence
• Case Preparation
• EPE in Courts
• Suitability of available products / suppliers
• Location of IT Servers and Support
• Performance issues with new IT
• Print volumes / performance when hard copies
  required

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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project

• Major Events Phase 2
• January 2003 - Review of approach to scanning,
  case preparation, EPE
• - Interim Project Review for HM Treasury
• January / July 2003 - Feasibility Study into
  new case preparation system
• December 2003 - Acquisition / Installation of
  new case preparation system
• February 2004 - Integration of new system into
  Solicitors Office operations.

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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project

• Future Outlook
• EPE as standard practise for presentation of
  complex cases
• Electronic access to case material via
  Web-based browsers
• Scanning of evidence at point of seizure to
  enable full end-to-end
• case preparation in IR
• Electronic Presentation of Evidence
  Prosecutors Group (EPG) collaboration
• with other prosecuting Agencies on further
  technology developments
• Criminal Justice IT (CJIT) promotes
  joined-up criminal justice
• organisations to ensure streamlined exchange
  of information
• Collaborative approach to procurement via OGC

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Inland Revenue Criminal Evidence Project

• Invest to Save
• Made the entire project possible
• Encouraged and enabled innovation
• Allowed flexibility of approach
• Focussed attention beyond individual Agencies
• Provided impetus for communication and
  assurance