- A further 16 additional courts to reopen this week
159 HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) locations have
remained open throughout the pandemic and a further 9 have opened
in the last few weeks. This, together with the significant
increase in use of remote audio and video technology, has enabled
the justice system to continue functioning in these exceptional
circumstances.
Now, 16 more sites have been assessed as suitable to hold
socially-distanced hearings. These are spread across the country
and across all jurisdictions. Each building has been individually
assessed and will strictly follow public health guidance to
ensure the protection and safety of all court users. A full list
can be found below.
Lord Chancellor, said:
Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, court staff and the
judiciary have worked tirelessly to make sure justice has not
stood still and I’m pleased that we are now in a position to
reopen more of our buildings.
A functioning justice system is one of the hallmarks of a
healthy democracy and today’s update will give confidence to
people up and down the country that justice can continue to be
done in a way that is safe for all court users.
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, said:
This is a very welcome step towards reopening all our court
buildings. A remarkable volume of work has continued throughout
the lockdown, much of it being conducted by judges from home.
Reopening all of the court estate, using additional
accommodation and continuing to use technology imaginatively
will enable us to return to and surpass pre-lockdown volumes,
helping manage the growing caseload.
The Senior President of Tribunals, Sir Ernest Ryder said:
All of the Tribunals in the UK are open for business and we
have been able to provide an impressive service during the
Pandemic by working remotely. The re-opening of tribunal
buildings is welcomed.
It will allow us to add to that service for those cases which
are not best suited to remote methods of hearing, where face to
face determination by a tribunal panel is important.
We will continue to develop the technology that has been
introduced for use in remote hearings and in our buildings and
we will use this opportunity to increase the number of panel
hearings that take place.
The dedication of all those in the justice system has allowed
people across the country to continue to access the justice they
are entitled to while being protected against the spread of the
virus, and many thousands of court hearings across all
jurisdictions have been heard since the coronavirus pandemic
began.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the government and the
Judiciary have announced through HMCTS:
There are now 184 court and tribunal buildings open for essential
face-to-face hearings, representing 54% of the 341 crown,
magistrates, county and family courts and tribunals across
England and Wales.
Work has also begun to identify suitable venues to house
so-called ‘Nightingale’ courts. These would use public spaces,
such as civic centres or university moot courts, to allow
traditional court buildings to manage more work while maintaining
social distancing – whether that be by hosting full hearings or
allowing victims and witnesses to attend remotely. A working
group has been established to develop these plans, made up of
HMCTS officials, the judiciary, legal professional bodies,
representatives of victims’ groups and other court users.
Notes to editors
