HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) needed faster, more reliable testing to support confident digital delivery across complex services. CGI modernised automated testing, strengthened test reporting and embedded accessibility testing into delivery, reducing feedback time from around 80 minutes to 19 to 20 minutes. The approach also increased potential validation cycles from around six to as many as 24 within an eight-hour working day, while providing clearer evidence for delivery teams.
A fragmented testing estate affecting delivery confidence
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) supports services that can affect people at some of the most important moments in their lives, from resolving a civil money claim or going through a divorce to seeking a decision on immigration or asylum. Behind these services, professional users rely on digital tools to manage cases, organisations and hearings. These tools must adapt quickly to legislative change, evolving user needs and opportunities to improve accessibility, while remaining reliable.
Over time, the supporting test systems had grown large and fragmented. They included 607 automated test files and 125 older test scenarios, spread across several tools and reporting systems. Some tests also depended on others being completed first, making it difficult to run them safely at the same time.
As a result, teams often waited more than an hour for feedback, and around 80 minutes for the largest service. When a test failed, specialist knowledge was needed to determine whether the problem came from the service itself, the test data, the technical environment, another connected service or the testing framework.
This was not simply a problem of slow testing. It was about giving teams clear, reliable evidence quickly enough to make confident decisions.
Faster feedback, clearer evidence
- Faster feedback: Reduced the time to provide feedback for a key HMCTS service from approximately 80 minutes to 19 to 20 minutes, around a 75% reduction in feedback time
- More opportunities to validate changes: Increased potential validation cycles from around six to as many as 24 within an eight-hour working day
- Clearer assurance: Teams receive clearer evidence to understand issues and identify where attention is needed
- More targeted testing: Testing is better aligned to specific risks and important user journeys, helping teams identify issues earlier
- Reusable approaches: Proven testing, reporting and accessibility approaches can be reused by other HMCTS teams
Speed was only part of the achievement. The approach also improved the quality and usefulness of the evidence teams use to make delivery decisions.
A stronger delivery model
The engagement demonstrates that modernising testing is about more than introducing new technology.
CGI combined testing and automation expertise with a strong understanding of assurance and digital delivery to address the complexity of the existing testing environment and improve confidence in the results. CGI has helped turn testing into a faster and more trusted source of evidence, helping HMCTS teams spend less time waiting for and interpreting results and more time delivering safe, timely improvements to the public services people depend on.
Wider value for HMCTS
The approaches developed through this work provide an opportunity to extend these improvements across HMCTS, helping other teams strengthen testing and accessibility without having to solve the same challenges from scratch. There is also an opportunity to build on this foundation by identifying where trusted automated results could reduce some repeat manual assurance activity.
Modernising testing and evidence
CGI approached the challenge as a broader transformation of how testing supports confident digital delivery, rather than simply replacing one testing tool with another.
Using an Automation First approach, CGI modernised automated testing while focusing coverage on meaningful behaviours and critical user journeys. This was important because existing measures did not necessarily provide genuine assurance, and some existing tests provided limited or unreliable coverage.
At the same time, CGI improved how evidence was produced and consumed. New reporting gives developers, testers and delivery leads a shared view of test results, with the ability to investigate individual issues when more detail is needed. Rather than a simple red or green result, reporting now provides a clearer view of what happened during testing. Unreliable tests remain visible, while information about recurring issues and their likely causes helps teams identify where attention is required.
Embedding accessibility into delivery
Accessibility testing was brought into the everyday development and delivery process, rather than being treated as a separate activity.
The approach gives teams clear, reviewable evidence of accessibility testing, including the pages tested, issues identified and supporting results. This helps teams identify and address accessibility issues earlier and supports HMCTS in working towards recognised Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards.
By making accessibility a more visible and consistent part of delivery, CGI has helped create a stronger foundation for building and maintaining accessible digital services.
Learn more
To find out how CGI is helping transform the way Justice is administered across the UK:
Reduced the time to provide feedback for a key HMCTS service from approximately 80 minutes to 19 to 20 minutes, around a 75% reduction in feedback time
Increased potential validation cycles from around six to as many as 24 within an eight-hour working day
CGI’s work with our teams demonstrates the value of investing in how we test and assure our services. Faster feedback, clearer evidence and accessibility testing embedded into delivery give teams greater confidence in the changes they make. This supports the direction we are driving through the Testing Centre of Excellence, with practical approaches that other HMCTS teams can adopt and build on.
Head of Test at HM Courts & Tribunals Service
