10 MoJ Things You May Not Know

• We are implementing an ambitious programme to transform the justice system, leaving it more effective, less costly, and more responsive to the public, making it easier for businesses to operate and by actively promoting the UK as a global centre for legal expertise. 
• MoJ is one of the top performing departments in respect of the business it places with Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME). In 2013–14, 37.2% of our spend went to SMEs, far exceeding the Government’s aspiration of 25%. At the end of quarter 2 2014–15 indicative direct spend with SME’s was at 36.3%.
• Just Solutions international (JSi), is the commercial brand for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) promoting products and services to international justice markets. In August 2014, JSi submitted a £5.9m proposal to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Finance to conduct a training needs analysis across all the learning and development programmes within the Saudi Arabian Prison Service. Also in August, JSi submitted a large scale bid to the Royal Oman Police (ROP) proposing assistance for the design of a new prison. Discussions are currently taking place with ROP about further learning and development training programmes. JSi has also recently won a bid to the value of £848k (€1,071k) to provide support with the development of a Probation Service in Macedonia.
• JSi generated £551k in revenue for NOMS in 2013–14, and will continue to build on this during 2014–15 financial year.
• In February 2015, the UK will host the Global Law Summit, a world-class international event to coincide with the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. The event will showcase the depth and adaptability of the UK legal system and will demonstrate the foundation that our rule of law has created for businesses to flourish.
• The Secretary of State made a visit to Brazil in May 2014, encompassing Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. He attended a Law Society event in Rio alongside the Lord Mayor of London, a roundtable on dispute resolution and spoke to students at a university, as well as holding high-level bilateral meetings with the Brazilian Justice Minister, President of the Supreme Court and both the federal and Sao Paulo bar associations. The visit has contributed to the growing legal relationship between Brazil and the UK. 
• The Secretary of State visited Riyadh in September 2014 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Judicial Cooperation, to build upon the existing bilateral justice relationship, promote UK legal services in Saudi Arabia and raise awareness of the upcoming Global Law Summit. He also met UK lawyers with offices in Riyadh. Discussions were also held on judicial cooperation, King Abdullah’s reform programme, and human rights issues.
• The Secretary of State also visited Doha in September 2014 with the aim of establishing a productive professional relationship with Qatar’s relatively new Justice Minister and to build on the existing relationship the department has with the Qatari Attorney General. The visit also served to promote UK legal services in Qatar and raise awareness of the Global Law Summit. He also met the Emir, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, the Head of Qatar’s Human Rights Committee and UK lawyers with offices in Doha.
• Lord Faulks visited Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan during October 2014. The primary objectives of the visit were to emphasise the UK’s support to Kazakhstan as per the Strategic Partnership signed in 2013 by both Prime Ministers and to encourage swifter progress on negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding on Judicial Cooperation. The Memorandum of Understanding on justice cooperation was signed with the Kazakhstan Prosecutor General’s Office on the 3rd December 2014. Lord Faulks also visited the business capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty, to promote the Global Law Summit. In Kyrgyzstan, Lord Faulks highlighted the UK’s support to the rule of law reforms currently underway.
• Lord Faulks also went to Shanghai and Beijing in November 2014 where the focus of the visit was to raise market access issues, promote the Global Law Summit and to follow up on areas of cooperation between the UK MoJ and Chinese MoJ, namely in Prison management and Community Correction work areas.

All these, and lots more gems, can be found here in the 'MoJ Mid Year Report to Parliament April to September 2014'.

Postscript

This from the JSi website:-

JSi provides a range of solutions across the Justice system, from policing through courts to prisons and community sentence delivery. A particular focus is on reducing re-offending and recidivism. JSi has been created as a social enterprise by a team of entrepreneurs within the UK Justice system. We deliver our services to customers in conjunction with NOMS.

JSi can offer a range of off the shelf solutions from training programmes for staff working in prisons and community settings to assessment systems and risk management systems. We have a wide catalogue of interventions for specific offender groups. Many are accredited to ensure the highest standards.

The Justice system in England and Wales is known for its work on integrated offender management. We are able to share our learning and have systems and processes that will assist others to develop similarly joined up work between prisons and community offender services.

We have recently adopted commissioning and payment by results models in England and Wales. JSi has experts in both areas and can help you to consider whether bringing private and voluntary sector organisations and new payment mechanisms into delivery of your services makes sense.

More information about who we are, and what we can offer is available in our brochure; which is available HERE