Daniel Watson considers historians’ criticisms over proposed plans to digitise Wills
Daniel’s article was posted in eprivateclient, 16 February 2024, and can be seen here.
Daniel Watson, Senior Associate in our Private Client department, discusses the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) controversial proposal to digitise the UK’s will storage system and destroy most original paper wills.
Since 1858, over 100 million wills have been archived in physical form, but the MoJ argues that digital storage would save £4.5 million annually and improve public access. While the government plans to retain paper copies for 25 years, historians have criticised the move as cultural “vandalism”.
Opponents argue that paper wills are vital historical records and that relying on civil servants to decide which wills are of national importance is problematic. Figures who gain recognition posthumously may have their wills lost forever under the proposed system. Although the MoJ intends to preserve documents belonging to notable individuals like Charles Darwin and Princess Diana, critics question the fairness and foresight of such a selective approach.
Despite these concerns, the MoJ’s plan reflects broader societal shifts towards digitisation. With robust digital safeguards in place, the risk to digital archives may be no greater than that posed to physical records. Given the public’s general acceptance of digital systems in areas like banking and healthcare, the transition to digital wills may ultimately be seen as a practical and forward-thinking reform.
Read the full article on the eprivateclient website [external link].