How to use HMCTS Common Platform
Guides for defence professionals on activating an account and using Common Platform to manage cases.
- From:
- HM Courts & Tribunals Service
- Published
- 25 March 2022
- Last updated
-
211OctoberJune20242026 — See all updates
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
Common Platform is a case management system for HMCTS, the judiciary, and professional court users, including defence.
Defence solicitors and barristers will need to register for an account before any hearings they attend where Common Platform is used.
With an account you can:
- link yourself to a case or defendant so the Legal Aid Agency is informed for payment purposes
- self-serve case materials, including the initial details of the prosecution case (IDPC) and the preparation for effective trial form (PET form) in the magistrates’ court
- serve documents on the court for Common Platform cases in the magistrates’ court
Once your firm has registered and you have activated your account, you can start managing your cases in Common Platform.
If you are an organisation administrator, see the HMCTS Common Platform for defence administrators guide.
Once your organisation has registered and you have activated your account, you can start accessing cases in Common Platform.
Get help
If you need help getting a unique reference number for a case, email contactcrime@justice.gov.uk or call 0330 808 4407.
If you need further help or have questions that are not addressed in the guidance, you can contact us on our helpdesk or by email.
Helpdesk
Telephone – 020 3989 6060
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (excluding bank holidays)
Email
CJSCP-DefenceServiceDesk@hmcts.netDTS-ITServicedesk@justice.gov.uk
We aim to respond within 5 working days.
These guides are for defence professionals. If you are another type of user and need help with Common Platform, email CJSCP-ServiceDesk@hmcts.net.
Updates to this page
Published 25 March 2022
Last updated 211 OctoberJune 2024
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href="#full-history">+ show all updates
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Update history
2026-06-01 12:24
Updated ‘Activate your Common Platform account’ attachment under point 4 of ‘Setting up you account’ to reflect change that a password needs 12 characters now instead of 8.
2024-10-21 09:41
Added 2 new screen for editing email in BCM
2024-06-10 10:12
Updated the Courts and Tribunals Service Centres email address.
2024-06-05 09:35
Updates to the add or edit defence witness section following changes to locking and editing function
2024-03-18 09:34
New images for new screens
2023-10-16 08:42
Added new home screen with associate and disassociate link
2023-08-14 09:30
Added new where to send case materials guide and structural tweaks in other guides
2023-03-21 13:23
Updated guidance around checking in to a hearing in the guidance document ‘Check into a Common Platform hearing’.
2023-02-10 09:30
Changes to how you find a case with the case reference
2023-01-23 08:55
Re-published PET and BCM guide
2022-09-05 14:00
Update to the serve docs and add case material guide for PET and BCM update
2022-08-25 09:30
Changes to the registering and associating to a case guidance and added PET/BCM guide
2022-03-25 09:35
First published.
Details
Common Platform is a case management system for HMCTS, the judiciary, and professional court users, including defence.
Defence solicitors and barristers will need to register for an account before any hearings they attend where Common Platform is used.
With an account you can:
- link yourself to a case or defendant so the Legal Aid Agency is informed for payment purposes
- self-serve case materials, including the initial details of the prosecution case (IDPC) and the preparation for effective trial form (PET form) in the magistrates’ court
- serve documents on the court for Common Platform cases in the magistrates’ court
Once your firm has registered and you have activated your account, you can start managing your cases in Common Platform.
If you are an organisation administrator, see the HMCTS Common Platform for defence administrators guide.
Once your organisation has registered and you have activated your account, you can start accessing cases in Common Platform.
Get help
If you need help getting a unique reference number for a case, email contactcrime@justice.gov.uk or call 0330 808 4407.
If you need further help or have questions that are not addressed in the guidance, you can contact us on our helpdesk or by email.
Helpdesk
Telephone – 020 3989 6060
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (excluding bank holidays)
CJSCP-DefenceServiceDesk@hmcts.netDTS-ITServicedesk@justice.gov.uk
We aim to respond within 5 working days.
These guides are for defence professionals. If you are another type of user and need help with Common Platform, email CJSCP-ServiceDesk@hmcts.net.
Updates to this page
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-06-01 12:24
Updated ‘Activate your Common Platform account’ attachment under point 4 of ‘Setting up you account’ to reflect change that a password needs 12 characters now instead of 8.
2024-10-21 09:41
Added 2 new screen for editing email in BCM
2024-06-10 10:12
Updated the Courts and Tribunals Service Centres email address.
2024-06-05 09:35
Updates to the add or edit defence witness section following changes to locking and editing function
2024-03-18 09:34
New images for new screens
2023-10-16 08:42
Added new home screen with associate and disassociate link
2023-08-14 09:30
Added new where to send case materials guide and structural tweaks in other guides
2023-03-21 13:23
Updated guidance around checking in to a hearing in the guidance document ‘Check into a Common Platform hearing’.
2023-02-10 09:30
Changes to how you find a case with the case reference
2023-01-23 08:55
Re-published PET and BCM guide
2022-09-05 14:00
Update to the serve docs and add case material guide for PET and BCM update
2022-08-25 09:30
Changes to the registering and associating to a case guidance and added PET/BCM guide
2022-03-25 09:35
First published.