Telford ‘Nightingale Court’ to hear its first cases
An annex of Telford Justice Centre will hear its first cases as a ‘Nightingale Court’ this week, in the latest step by the government to tackle the impact of coronavirus on the justice system.
The new site will hear civil and family cases, boosting the capacity of the centre by adding three more court rooms.
Nightingale Courts have been rapidly set up across the country to alleviate the pressure on courts and tribunals resulting from the pandemic – ensuring that the wheels of justice keep turning.
Justice Minister, Alex Chalk, said: “I’m grateful to the Telford Justice Centre for playing its part in the national effort to recover from this unprecedented pandemic. It will help reduce delays in our courts and ensure speedier justice for the people of Telford.
“This is part of our plan to work with the judiciary, courts staff and legal sector, to pursue every available option to ensure our courts recover from the effects of Covid as quickly as possible.”
The move will help free up room in existing courts to hear other cases, including custodial jury trials, which require cells and secure dock facilities to keep the public, victims and witnesses safe. It is one of four Nightingale courts opened this week with others in Middlesbrough, Hertfordshire and Swansea. More are expected later this month.
In March, almost half of all courts were closed and jury trials were paused, following Public Health England advice, to minimise social interaction between court users. Since then, court staff, legal professionals, and the judiciary have worked together to prioritise cases and keep the justice system running throughout the lockdown – with up to 90% of court buildings now open.
These actions have meant that, throughout the lockdown, domestic abuse victims could obtain protection orders, children could be safeguarded, and dangerous suspects dealt with.
Measures were put in place to safely resume jury trials in May 2020, and 64 Crown Courts will be hearing jury trials as of next week. More widely, almost all courts and tribunals sites are now open to the public again – with 311 operating this week.
The Lord Chancellor recently set out further measures which are being considered to help ease pressure on the courts system. These included opening courts for longer to increase the number of cases that can be heard safely on any given day, and continuing to use video technology to hear cases where appropriate. Additional potential Nightingale Courts sites are also being explored.
A major £142 million investment across the courts system has also been announced to speed up technological improvements and modernise courtrooms.
