Government promises new Nightingale courts to curtail covid-19 pandemic backlog and trial delay

The government plans to build 14 new Nightingale courts to tackle outstanding court cases caused by the pandemic, according to a statement from Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland.

The new courts will take advantage of currently little-used hotels and venues as part of a £113 million plan to combat the vast backlog created by covid-19 and spacing restrictions. The plan sees the government pledging to have 60 Nightingale courts operational by the end of March and further designs to adapt existing courts.

Event spaces in London (the Barbican) and Birmingham (Maple House) are among the 14 confirmed new courts, as well as spaces in Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Chichester and Croydon. Most new courts will be used to hear non-custodial crown court cases, keeping traditional courtrooms free for trials carrying bigger penalties.

In Manchester, the Hilton will be converted while the Manchester Crown Court is having walls knocked down to create a ‘super court’. This will allow the hearing of so-called ‘multi-hander’ cases such as gang murder trials where multiple defendants are tried together, a matter complicated by the social distancing required in the pandemic. The Mayer of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for a similar court to be opened in London.

Other investments as part of the scheme involve the hiring and training of 1,600 extra staff, further technology and on-site safety precautions, including plexiglass screens. This follows a previous £142 million investment on modernising courtrooms and technical improvements that have seen a 4000% increase in remote hearings.

Buckland called the plan a “shot in the arm for the justice system”, stating more victims will now be able to “move on with their lives”. Courts in England and Wales face a backlog of more than half a million cases, including 53,000 in the crown courts, which some estimate will take four years to clear.

Buckland claims the new initiatives are proving a success. Jury trials have resumed and there are now more courts open for jury trials than pre-pandemic. This follows the conversion of some existing courts such as in the Royal Courts of Justice. While outstanding cases are falling, the backlog remains. Meanwhile, the government claims plans to roll out extended covid-19 operating hours in Crown courts are still under review, although the Criminal Bar Association has indicated that the controversial plan has been scrapped.