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| Executive agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1 April 2005 |
| Dissolved | 1 April 2011 |
| Superseding Executive agency | |
| Website | www |
| This article is part of the series:Courts of England and Wales |
| Law of England and Wales |
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Criminal prosecution |
Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) was anexecutive agency of theMinistry of Justice (MoJ) and was responsible for theadministration of the civil, family and criminal courts inEngland and Wales.
It was created by the amalgamation of the Magistrates' Courts Service and the Court Service as a result of the Unified Courts Administration Programme. It came into being on 1 April 2005, bringing together the Magistrates' Courts Service and the Courts Service into a single organisation. On 1 April 2011 it merged with theTribunals Service to formHer Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (from 8 September 2022 His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service).
Her Majesty's Courts Service carried out the administration and support for theCourt of Appeal, theHigh Court, theCrown Court, themagistrates' courts, theCounty Court and the Probate Service inEngland and Wales.
When established court services were administered by seven regions responsible for 42 local areas. In 2007 this structure was re-organised by reducing the number of areas to 24. The areas are managed by area directors, responsible for the delivery of local services. They work in partnership withcourts boards to ensure that the Agency is focussed on its customers and is meeting local needs.
The GovernmentWhite Paper "Justice for all", published in 2002, recommended that a single agency should be developed to support the delivery of justice in all courts inEngland and Wales, instead of the magistrates' courts and the Court Service being administered separately.
The Courts Act 2003 created the legal framework required to make the changes. The focus of the programme was to devise a system which would offer improved and consistent services to court users by providing:
On 31 March 2005, responsibility for the 42 existingmagistrates' courts committees and Court Service passed to Her Majesty’s Courts Service.
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| National | |
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