Causeway scheme links justice systems

The Northern Ireland Office has signed a £35m, 10-year deal with Fujitsu Services to implement its criminal justice integration project.

The Causeway programme aims to replace paper-based records across six organisations including the police, the courts and the probation and prison services.

The Fujitsu contract includes the design, implementation and operation of Causeway's technology requirements.

Early services will come on line in Spring 2004 and the project will be completed in 2006.

The programme's objectives are to process cases faster and with fewer errors, improve accessibility of data, improve management information and respond more quickly to enquiries from the public, lawyers and other organisations.

Data will be captured once and shared and re-used by all participating organisations, cutting costs and improving accuracy. And staff currently occupied with the copying and moving of paper will be freed up to use their time more efficiently.

'Causeway is the mechanism through which information will flow between the criminal justice organisations thus delivering on the government pledge to improve the administration of criminal justice through the best use of modern technology,' said Paul Murphy, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

'Staff will have rapid and secure access to all the information they need to do their work. Victims and witnesses will see their cases dealt with more promptly and will have easier access to accurate information on the progress of their case. Lawyers, judges and magistrates will see fewer cases adjourned because of incorrect or late information and the general public will benefit through criminals being punished more quickly.'