- Nightingale Court era over as four temporary
courts become permanent fixtures
- Next step in wider Government plans to end interminable delay
for victims
- Move comes as new landmark London court readies for opening
Thousands of victims will be spared from interminable delays
waiting to see justice done thanks to a significant expansion to
the court's estate.
Former court buildings in Fleetwood,
Telford, Chichester and Cirencester – used as
Nightingale Courts since the Covid-19 pandemic - will now become
permanent fixtures, ending their temporary status.
This move secures 11 additional courtrooms across the country
where capacity is most needed, covering a mixture of criminal,
family and civil cases – tackling the caseload and
delivering swifter justice for victims.
Today's news comes as the Courts Minister, , visited
the site of the new London Law Courts – a
state-of-the-art building which, when open next year, will
act as the benchmark for delivering
modern, transparent and speedy justice.
The building will provide 18
new state-of-the-art courtrooms which can
hear Crown, magistrate and civil cases in the
heart of London.
As part of the core estate, these former Nightingale Courts will
now qualify for future modernisation and investment. This will
allow HMCTS to put money into improving their infrastructure and
ensure buildings are suitable for the latest technology –
speeding up justice and providing a better experience for all
court users.
Minister for Courts KC MP
said:
"This marks a new chapter for these
courts. We're ending the Nightingale era and
making a lasting investment in justice. The permanent
courtrooms, as part of our Plan for Change, will help
deliver faster justice and give much-needed clarity to victims
and the staff who serve them.
"Investment matters, but it isn't enough on its own. We must
deliver bold reforms to put the broken system we
inherited - on the brink of collapse - back on
sustainable ground.”
The move marks the end of the Nightingale courts initiative,
which at its peak in July 2021 saw 60 temporary
courtrooms operating in hotels,
conference centres and office buildings to keep justice
moving during the pandemic.
This year alone, the Government is investing £148.5 million to
repair and upgrade courts across England and Wales - tackling
longstanding maintenance issues, reducing delays caused by ageing
infrastructure, and improving conditions for those who rely on
them.
Alongside investment in the estate, Ministers have also increased
funding for Crown Courts to sit a record 111,250 days
this financial year. More sitting days means more hearings
and faster justice.
The Deputy Prime Minister has also announced a bold package of
reforms to bring down the Crown Court caseload which
will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.
