No Audit Opinion for Missing Court Accounts

AUDITORS cannot sign off accounts for HM Courts Service due to incomplete records of fines, confiscation orders and penalties imposed by the judiciary and police.

Comptroller and auditor general Amyas Morse said he could not give an audit opinion on whether transactions and balances were complete and appropriate.

Courts' IT system has come under fire, with limitations in the case management programme Libra contributing to the difficulty of providing information on individual transactions.

"I welcome the further steps planned by the Courts Service and Ministry of Justice to improve the evidence on its financial position relating to fines, confiscation orders and penalties. However, I recognise that they and other government bodies face significant challenges in improving the extent of available data and on reducing the level of outstanding debt," said Morse.