3.1 The Auld Report, "Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales", published in October 2001, recommended the establishment of a unified criminal court. The Government responded to the report in the "Justice for All" white paper, published in July 2002. The Government's view was that the benefits from unification could be realised through a closer alignment of magistrates' courts and the Crown Court. The Government therefore intends to legislate to bring magistrates' courts and the Crown Court closer together - collectively these courts will be known as "the criminal courts". It also intends to integrate their management within a single courts organisation to replace existing Magistrates' Courts Committees and the Court Service. The Courts' Bill therefore provides for the abolition of Magistrates' Courts Committeees and the transfer of magistrates courts to the Department, within which an executive agency will be set up to manage all courts. The target date for the launch of the new agency is April 2005.
3.2 This Part of the Report examines the consequences of unified administration for IT systems in the magistrates' courts. We conclude that the Department needs to plan ahead now for the IT systems to replace Libra and other court systems where the contracts are due to end in 2007. New IT systems need to be developed in parallel with changes in magistrates' court processes once unified administration is in place.