Justice Committee to question MoJ Minister over probate delays
The Justice Committee will question Mike Freer, Minister for Courts and Legal Services and Helen Measures, HM Courts and Tribunals Service National Services Director during the fourth and final evidence session of its Probate inquiry.
Meeting details
MPs on the cross-party committee will explore the broad impact of problems at the Probate Registry and evaluate proposals for change put forward by previous witnesses.
The session will also include discussion on potential reforms that could improve future resilience and customer experience of those applying for probate.
Previous inquiry evidence sessions have examined the significant impact of probate delays across the charitable sector, in particular organisations reliant on funding from gifts in wills, the recent performance of the Probate Registry, how the application process works, plus different proposals for improvement.
The Committee launched its inquiry in November 2023 amid reports the Probate Registry has been experiencing significant delays. There are wider concerns about how effectively beneficiaries, executors and the bereaved are supported through the process.
The inquiry is taking evidence on capacity, resources and delays across the probate service and the impact of digitisation and centralisation, including the effectiveness of the online probate portal. It is looking at people’s experiences of applying for probate including how the administration of probate could be improved for people who are already coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.