Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the UK’s justice system, ensuring access to legal services, public protection, and judicial efficiency. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) needed to modernise its digital services to improve accessibility, scalability, and operational efficiency.

Problem

HMCTS relied on outdated systems that were difficult to maintain and scale. New legislation, such as the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, required the rapid deployment of digital services, while the organisation also sought a more standardised and cost-effective approach to software development.

Solution

Working with Solirius, Norton Studios:

• Designed a microservices-based architecture to support scalable, reusable, and GDS-compliant digital services.

• Delivered the No Fault Divorce service, cutting the application size by 72% and launching on time with zero accessibility issues.

• Migrated the Find a Court or Tribunal service to a modern tech stack, improving performance, reducing costs, and enabling seamless scaling.

Impact

✅ Faster, more efficient digital services – No Fault Divorce became an exemplar for HMCTS, reducing processing time to as little as 21 minutes.
✅ Scalable and cost-effective infrastructure – New microservices and modernised platforms reduced maintenance overhead while supporting high-traffic usage.
✅ Long-term digital transformation – Coaching and knowledge transfer enabled HMCTS teams to manage and enhance services independently.

Through expert engineering and a collaborative approach, Norton Studios helped HMCTS create a more efficient, accessible, and future-proof justice system.