What is the Hertfordshire Criminal Justice Board?

Public invited to observe September 2021 meeting

The Hertfordshire Criminal Justice Board have their quarterly meeting on Wednesday 29th September from 1-4pm. The Board are inviting members of the public to join the virtual meeting and observe. There will also be the opportunity for members of the public to ask questions of the Board with there being two Question & Answer sessions during the meeting.
The meeting will focus on early intervention and crime prevention as well as the local criminal justice system during the pandemic and beyond.
You can view the agenda by clicking on this link CJB Agenda [opens in new window].
 
How do I join?
The meeting will be held on Microsoft Teams and to join you just need to click the link below just before 1pm on 29th September:
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
 
If you are unable to join the meeting by computer then you can dial 020 3443 9187 and enter the conference ID 859 848 030#. This will give you access to hear the meeting but you won’t be able to view proceedings.
 
What if I have questions?
There will also be two panel Question & Answer sessions on the day and questions are welcomed for these sessions.
To contribute questions in advance of the meeting please access Vevox from your web browser
https://vevox.app/#/m/165902517
Session ID: 165-902-517



Local Criminal Justice Boards were introduced by the government in 2003 to improve the delivery of justice, secure better outcomes for victims and witnesses, and increase public confidence in the system.

Hertfordshire Criminal Justice Board (HCJB) is a partnership of agencies working to achieve these aims.

We want to create the best environment for victims and witnesses, whether that is improving opportunities for reporting crime, for providing support or making sure the court process is effective at holding offenders to account.

The Board is made up of key agencies and individuals within the local Hertfordshire criminal justice system.

 
Members of the Board
 
David Lloyd  Police and Crime Commissioner (Chair)
Charlie Hall QPM Chief Constable, Hertfordshire Constabulary
Jaswant Narwal CPS Thames and Chiltern Chief Crown Prosecutor (currently on secondment)
Malcolm McHaffie CPS Thames and Chiltern Chief Crown Prosecutor (current secondment cover)
Ian Miller Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service (HMCTS)
Katie Price Her Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS) (The Mount, Bovingdon)
Neeve Bishop National Probation Service (NPS)
Nick Smith Hertfordshire Youth Offending Service
Claire Weston NHS England
Diane Hayward Legal Aid Agency
Anthony Roche North Herts District Council
Layla Allen Citizens Advice - Witness Service
Sharn Elton East and North Herts CCG
Fergus McMullen Independent Challenge / Scrutiny Member
Jo Fisher Director of Children's Services, Hertfordshire County Council
Paul Millan Noble Solicitors

For more details about the board members, you can read their biographies.
 

Our Priorities

The seven priority areas set out below were agreed at the Annual Planning Day in January 2017 and ratified at the HCJB meeting in June 2017.

In line with the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act, the priorities take account of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan: Everybody’s Business (2019-2024), agencies own priorities and new legislative requirements. 

The priorities will be reviewed by the HCJB in March 2019 to ensure they reflect the key challenges and areas for improvement across the criminal justice system locally.

The seven priority areas are as follows:

Priority 1: Reducing Crime
Priority 2: Criminal Justice System Efficiency: Delivery of Justice
Priority 3: Supporting Victims and Witnesses
Priority 4: Innovation and Digital CJS Efficiency
Priority 5: Early intervention
Priority 6: Rehabilitation of Offenders in the Community
Priority 7: Communications


To see more detail on these priorities please see the Hertfordshire Criminal Justice Board Constitution below.
 
 

Publications and Resources

Hertfordshire Criminal Justice Board Constitution (including Terms of Reference)
 
 

Meetings

Public Meetings
The Board aim to meet in public once a year providing an opportunity for the general public to observe and put questions to members of the Board.
The 2021 meeting was held virtually on Wednesday 29th September.   The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

Questions asked by members of the public ahead of the meeting were collated and either answered during the meeting or responses were sought afterwards. These responses can be found here.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic the Board did not have a meeting in public in 2020.


The agenda for the 17th June 2019 meeting can be found here.

The 2018 meeting was on the 9th July 2018 in St Albans. The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

Details for the next meeting will be posted here and in the local press.


Closed Meetings
The HCJB meet once a quarter. Minutes of these meetings are published here.
March 2021
December 2020
September 2020
June 2020
December 2019
September 2019


During the coronavirus pandemic the Board has been convened on a more regular basis to ensure issues can be escalated, there is effective communication and information sharing and partners can troubleshoot together. These meetings took place weekly at the beginning of the pandemic and are now held at quarterly intervals, in between the main Board meetings. 
 

Useful Links

The Ministry of Justice has information on its website on lots of criminal justice matters including court appearances and what to expect if you're giving evidence:
Your rights and the law
Prison and probation services


The Citizens Advice Service has also produced a useful guide to appearing in court as a witness.

Details for the location of courts and probation services in Hertfordshire can be found online.

There are also helpful video guides available to people attending court, including these from the Ministry of Justice (full playlist on link).

As a witness:




The Family Court (from HMCTS):