Nightmare Courts Get Nightingale Boost to Slash Delays
The government is expanding Nightingale courts to 60 locations nationwide by March 2021, targeting non-custodial Crown Court cases. These pop-up courtrooms keep trials socially distanced amid the pandemic. In Manchester, a ‘super courtroom’ at Crown Square will handle space-hungry ‘multi-hander’ cases—think gang murder trials with multiple defendants.
Lord Chancellor Pledges Swift Justice and Victim Support
Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland hailed the progress: “We restarted jury trials before anywhere else, turbocharged video rollout, reduced magistrates’ backlogs, and opened more jury courtrooms.”
“These new courts are the next step. We’re investing hundreds of millions to cut delays and support victims. Justice must not wait.”
Massive £113m Cash Splash to Clear Court Backlogs
- £113m to ease court pressures including hiring 1,600 new staff
- More tech upgrades and safety measures like plexiglass screens
- On top of £142m already spent modernising courtrooms and speeding tech improvements
Results are in: England and Wales leads the world by restarting jury trials first, with hundreds lined up weekly. Magistrates’ outstanding cases dropped over 50,000 since last summer. Crown Court caseloads hit pre-pandemic levels by December 2020. Remote hearings shot up 4000% from 550 to over 20,000 per week.
Supporting Victims & Saving Jobs During Crisis
Keeping courts open is saving lives—over 9,000 orders protected children against forced marriage, FGM, and domestic abuse between April and September 2020.
A fresh £40m announced last month funds specialist help for vulnerable victims through helplines and extra counsellors. Beyond that, a whopping £337m was confirmed in the Spending Review for faster justice and victim care in 2021/22, with £76m boosting family court capacity.
Venues Praise Partnership with HM Courts & Tribunal Service
Caroline Bull, CEO of CCT Venues, said: “Providing two Nightingale courtrooms at our Barbican site gave us a lifeline during the pandemic. It’s a win-win, saving jobs and boosting team morale.”
Dominic James, Venues Director at etc venues, added: “We proudly partnered with HMCTS since mid-2020, launching London’s first Nightingale Court at Prospero House. Now, our Maple House venue in Birmingham will help crack the backlog while events remain on hold.
