Libra – the case management IT system used by HM Courts Services has been partly blamed for the inability of the service to provide accurate details of collection of fines, confiscation orders and penalties, the Auditor General Amayas Morse has reported to the Parliament.
The limitations of the ICT system has been primarily the cause for the Courts’ Service to provide individual records to back overall accounts and therefore, he has been unable to provide an “audit opinion”, Mr. Morse has said.
According to the spending watchdog, the HM Courts Service is owed £1.9 Billion in 2010/11 from fine, confiscation orders and penalties, which is almost half a million more than the previous year. The NAO has said that out of this £1.9 Billion only £457 Million is recoverable – that means the Courts’ Service might have to write of £1.4 Billion.
Despite these failures, the watchdog has commended the Ministry of Justice as well as the HM Courts’ Service for improvements especially in measuring performance in collection rates as well as developments in enforcement and collection procedures. Processes have been put in place to measure timeliness and arrears as well as working with other government departments and agencies to optimise recovery of fines and other payments.
However, Mr. Morse concluded that there are “significant challenges in improving the extent of available data and on reducing the level of outstanding debt,” while pointing out that substantial improvements cannot be expected until Libra and its associated other IT systems are replaced or enhanced.
The Chair of the Public Accounts Committee Margaret Hodge MP said the report by the Auditor General was “really worrying” while another committee member Richard Bacon said it was “disgraceful”.
“It is true that the Libra computer system is both expensive and useless but we have known this for many years and public bodies still have a duty to keep proper records,” he added. “We are now looking at a possible £1.4bn loss in uncollected fines and penalties partly because of the longstanding shambles that passes for record-keeping in the courts service."
However in a statement the MoJ and the Courts Service pledged to improve performance on recovering debt. A statement said: “The courts will do everything within their powers to trace those who do not pay. Money can be taken from an offender's earnings or from benefits if they are unemployed. Warrants can be issued instructing court employed agents to seize and sell goods belonging to the offender.”