Justice Secretary David Lammy is facing intense pressure to address systemic failures within his department, following revelations of millions wasted on a defunct video system, as he prepares to unveil controversial plans to scrap jury trials for most cases.
A Department in Disarray
The Ministry of Justice's own accounts expose a department in financial turmoil, with losses soaring to £71 million in the 2024-25 financial year. This figure represents a staggering increase, more than double the £33.8 million reported the previous year.
A significant portion of these losses originated within HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which wrote off £3,632,609 on a failed Video Hearings Service (VHS) project. The system, intended to provide virtual consultation rooms and enable remote hearings, was trialled in a handful of courts in late 2019.
However, it was deemed unsuitable for a nationwide rollout when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Courts instead turned to a different system, the Cloud Video Platform, to continue operating during lockdowns.
The Collapse of a Multi-Million Pound Project
Despite plans to finally launch the VHS system nationally in the autumn of last year, it was taken offline in the summer due to persistent technical problems. After a formal approval process in May 2025, HMCTS decided to completely abandon the project rather than pour more money into a failing system.
This is not an isolated incident for the courts service. Last year, it wrote off another £5.6 million when it decided to stick with an existing digital case management system rather than proceeding with the delayed Common Platform project.
Political and Legal Backlash
The financial mismanagement has drawn sharp criticism, particularly as Mr Lammy is expected this week to set out plans where judges would oversee all but the most serious criminal cases, a move ostensibly to reduce the massive trial backlog and save money.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick did not hold back, stating: ‘Instead of depriving British citizens of ancient liberties, Calamity Lammy should get his own department in order. He is casting aside 800 years of jury trials because of administrative failure.’
The legal profession has echoed these concerns. Bar Council chairman Barbara Mills KC highlighted the MoJ's ‘poor track record when it comes to reform, digitisation and procurement’, noting that many millions were spent on both the VHS and Common Platform, with neither delivering results. She called for a complete audit of all MoJ IT systems.
Adding to the chorus, Law Society of England and Wales president Mark Evans emphasised that while stopping failing projects is a mature decision, it is vital that HMCTS learns from these experiences and is transparent with stakeholders, especially given the chronic underfunding of the justice system.
In response, an MoJ spokesman defended the decision to scrap the VHS, stating it was taken ‘because of technical issues that could not be resolved, rather than incurring further costs on a system that no longer represented value for money.’ He asserted that system reforms are about delivering justice, not saving money.
