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Plead Guilty on Your Mobile: UK MoJ Wants Defendants to Enter Plea Online

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The Ministry of Justice is planning on allowing defendants to plead guilty online. This will include people who are charged with fare dodging on public transport, as well as those who refuse to pay their TV license.

According to plans unveiled by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), defendants will be allowed to plead guilty from the comfort of their own phone.

Lord Chancellor Liz Truss MP, the Lord Chief Justice Thomas of Cwmgiedd, as well as Senior President of Tribunals Lord Justice Ryder, revealed the new idea in a jointly issued paper released last week, and said that they wanted the justice system to start taking advantage of the brand spanking new technologies, such as the Internet.

In the paper, titled Transforming Our Justice System, the MoJ set out their US$1.5 billion vision on how to move the court system from England and Wales away from the 15th century paper based processes.

The aim is to help those people who are considered vulnerable to spare the trauma of appearing in court. Also under the new plans there will be a shake-up of legal jargon which will be replaced by much more simple language.

​In addition to this, cross-examinations will be recorded and played live during the trial; this will stop vulnerable victims from reliving the events.

"We want a justice system that works for everyone. That means creating a system that is just, proportionate and accessible. We have the tools and the technology to cut unnecessary paperwork, to deliver swifter justice and to make the experience more straightforward," an MoJ statement sent to Sputnik said.

However, there are concerns that this system may not work and could even be exploited by some. 

Private firms such as Capita, who run the outsourced BBC TV tax enforcement arm, are motivated by profit and some are worried that unscrupulous prosecution lawyers may take advantage of the system.

However for the MoJ, these reforms will allow them to better protect victims and witnesses who can find the experience of reliving a traumatic event in court incredibly stressful.

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