Dear HM Courts and Tribunals Service,

1) In the last 4 years, how many times have the prosecution of Post Office sub-postmasters for fraud been an agenda item of formal meetings of HMCTS?

2) When it has been discussed at formal meetings of HMCTS, how many times has Tim Parker, the Chairman of HMCTS and also the Chairman of the Post Office been present?

3) How many complaints did HMCTS receive about the appointment of Tim Parker as Chairman of HMCTS?

4) How many complaints has HMCTS received in the last 9 months about the failure of Nick Goodwin, HMCTS’s Chief Executive, to take any action about the grossly improper behaviour of his Customer Investigations Team?

5) What is the date when HMCTS rolled out an online warrants register which enabled local courts to issuer warrants to allow energy companies to remotely switch smart meters to prepayment meters without needing a warrant to enter the property?

6) Up to March 2022, how many complaints about the online warrants register were received by HMCTS? From March – when Nick Goodwin became HMCTS Chief Executive – to 1st of December 2022, how many complaints about the online warrants register have been received by HMCTS?

7) How many FOI Requests for information about HMCTS’s rolling out of the online warrants register since Jan 2020? How many of these FOI Requests were initially refused and how many subsequently answered after an internal review was requested?

If retrieving information for 7) should exceed the cost limit of £600, it can be excluded from this FOI Request.

Background

The Post Office executive team presided over the worst, the largest, miscarriage of justice ever witnessed in this country. They must have known their prosecution and conviction of innocent sub-postmasters was flawed, that it relied upon Horizon software, the faults of which they had previously been warned about. During all this time, Tim Parker has been Chair of the Post Office. It would appear strange if, during this time when the Post Office’s appalling prosecution of innocent sub-postmasters was becoming obvious (and being challenged in the courts) if it did not feature as a subject for discussion at a formal meeting of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service – the organisation that has oversight of our justice system and whose role it is to ensure that justice is not only done but seen to be done.

When Tim Parker was appointed Chair of HMCTS, there was a great deal of discontent and many questioned the appropriateness of his appointment. The Daily Mail pointed out he was known as the ‘Prince of Darkness’ because of his reputation of taking over organisations and slashing the work-force to improve profitability.

Nick Goodwin was only appointed in April 2022 but already there has been growing concern about his failure to take action over the incompetence of Small Claims Court Managers and the fact that the Customer Investigations Team were reneging on promises to carry out reviews of investigations that were clearly flawed. Complainants have been routinely ignored in what is a dereliction of duty and Mr Goodwin has stood by and done nothing. On question 4) I have proof of at least 2 complaints that have been made to Mr Goodwin and then ignored by him.

Yours faithfully,

Dudley Jones

Dear L. Brooks,
Thank you for your request for clarification. You asked if I was referring to HMCTS Board meetings in questions 1 and 2.

My answer is 'yes' though since I'm not familiar with HMCTS management, perhaps you can assist me further .
I have in mind Board meetings and also meetings where there might be a list of agenda items and attendance by senior executives - including, for example, Tim Parker and/or department heads. Meetings, for example, where there might be discussion of topics like the Post Office scandal and the fact that - as Sir Peter Bottomley, the Father of the House pointed out - it's curious and disturbing that none of the judges who found over 500 innocent SPMs guilty of embezzlement and fraud questioned why there was no evidence of their ill-gotten gains in their bank balance, the houses they lived in etc.

To provide another example: when huge numbers of online warrants were issued, enabling energy companies to gain forced entry into properties and install pre-payment meters, was there any discussion at any formal meeting or Board meeting of the horrendous consequences for the poorest and most vulnerable people in society? Those faced with the crippling cost of the most expensive form of energy.

If any further clarification is required, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

Yours sincerely,

Dudley Jones

Dear Ms Brooks,

Thanks for getting back to me so promptly. Can I confirm when I say 'meetings' I mean HMCTS board meetings.

Yours sincerely,

Dudley Jones