Data

Overview

The CJC’s statutory function is to: “Review the civil justice system and make recommendations to the Lord Chancellor, the judiciary and the Civil Procedure Rules Committee on the development of the civil justice system to make it more accessible, fair and efficient”. In order to carry out this function effectively, it is vital that CJC is able to access data to both understand how the system is operating at present and identify opportunities for improvement. Good quality data is also needed to underpin the work of CJC working groups and to monitor the impact of their recommendations. At its July 2023 meeting, the CJC approved the terms of reference of a data working group.

Members

  1. Dr Natalie Byrom – CJC member (Chair).
  2. Nicola Critchley – DWF and CJC member
  3. Rosemary Rand – Deputy Director at HMCTS and CJC Member.
  4. Dr John Sorabji – Associate Professor UCL Faculty of Laws and CJC Member.
  5. Daniel Hoadley – Head of Research and Development at vLex and CJC Member.
  6. His Honour Judge Ivan Ranson
  7. Jo Peacock – Deputy Director at HMCTS.
  8. Harriet Ainsworth Smith – Head of Modernisation and Digital Justice, Access to Justice Policy, Ministry of Justice.
  9. Gavin Freeguard – Freelance Consultant and Associate at Institute for Government.
  10. Dr Emma Gordon – Director of ADR-UK & ADR England.
  11. Rosario Piazza – Chief Insight Architect at Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  12. Sir Ernest Ryder – Master of Pembroke College Oxford and Trustee of the Nuffield Foundation
  13. Professor Imran Rasul – Professor of Economics, University College London; Director, ESRC Institute for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy (CPP) at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)
  14. Ned Sharpe – Head of Legal Support Strategic Projects , Access to Justice, Ministry of Justice.

Terms of reference

Purpose

The purpose of the Data Working Group is to build on the findings of previous working groups and support the CJC to access the data needed to deliver its statutory function.

It will make recommendations to improve the way data is collected, presented and shared, in order to provide better insight into the operation of the civil justice system. The Working Group will in particular:

  1. Identify the data relevant to the delivery of the CJC’s statutory objective.
  2. Review the quality, timeliness, and availability of existing data relevant to the delivery of the CJC’s statutory objective.
  3. Make recommendations for the improvement of this data.
  4. Produce an annual update on progress in improving data to be published either as a standalone report or as part of the CJC Annual Review, recognising that this is not a time limited piece of work with a single end point.
  5. Provide expert support and guidance to existing and future CJC working groups and liaise with the CJC Futures Group to ensure alignment.