We have been asked to share the following with you:-

Improvements to the PET and BCM forms in Common Platform
Following feedback from defence practitioners, HMCTS has improved the digitised Preparation for Effective Trial (PET) and Better Case Management (BCM) forms on Common Platform.

They’re making changes in 2 releases. The first set of improvements went live Monday 18 March.

PET form changes

1. It’s now possible to edit the contact details for the defendant and their trial representative on the form
2. Defence can indicate if a defendant wants to have their case heard in Welsh
3. There’s improved formatting and hint text in the ‘Arrangements for trial’ section to make it more user-friendly
4. There are improvements to the way directions appear and function so it’s possible to assign them to people and set optional due dates
5. If modern slavery is not selected as a defence, the finalised form will state this

BCM form changes

1. The requirement for the judiciary and HMCTS to physically sign the BCM form has been removed, so you will no longer see this section
2. There are minor changes to the header and the hint text that sits above the defence plea response

HMCTS plan to make further improvements in April 2024 and will share more details nearer the time.