The UK government has announced that four former Nightingale Courts in Fleetwood, Telford, Chichester and Cirencester will become permanent fixtures of the courts estate in England. The move will add 11 additional courtrooms across criminal, family and civil jurisdictions and is intended to help address persistent backlogs and delays in the justice system.
Commenting on the announcement, BCLs partner David Hardstaff welcomed the decision but cautioned that it falls short of addressing the scale of the crisis facing the courts. He noted that the success of Nightingale Courts during the pandemic demonstrated that, if the backlog were treated as a national emergency, there are effective ways to increase capacity “without the irreversible dissolution of the jury system”.
David also highlighted the wider structural issues underpinning delays, particularly in the criminal courts. He observed that around 50% of magistrates’ courts have closed since 2010, despite magistrates’ courts handling the vast majority of criminal cases.
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