Guidance
HMCTS weekly operational summary on courts and tribunals during coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
This page provides a weekly summary of the HM Courts and Tribunals Service operational position during the coronavirus pandemic. We will aim to update this every Friday at 5pm.
Published 24 April 2020
Last updated 13 November 2020 — see all updates
From:
HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Contents
- HMCTS operational summary for week commencing Monday 16 November 2020
- Previous editions
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We are issuing weekly updates on our operational position and we’ll email our subscribers each Sunday evening with a reminder. On Monday mornings we’ll also publish a link to the weekly update on Twitter.
You can see our previously issued daily operational updates.
Follow us on @HMCTSgovuk to also check for daily or urgent updates.
We’ll keep this under review.
HMCTS operational summary for week commencing Monday 16 November 2020
Next week’s update will be issued on Friday 20 November 2020.
Crime
- The Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) updated their safety policies with regards to COVID-19 from Monday 26 October 2020, in order to minimise the risk of transmission. PECS will still primarily manage the safety of staff, detainees and visitors to the court custody suite via social distancing. Defence representatives and visitors to custody suites must wear their own face coverings at all times, unless they have a practical reason (exemption) not to.
- Jury trials have resumed in 79 Crown Courts and are running in 5 Nightingale Courts and 4 other existing court locations.
- Updated: We have installed plexiglass screens in 237 court rooms and 153 jury deliberation rooms so far. Further installations are planned for November 2020.
- We are installing new Portakabin® buildings to provide temporary rooms for jury deliberations. We have installed Portakabin buildings so far at 13 court locations (Birmingham, Bradford, Caernarfon, Grimsby, Guildford, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Newcastle, Northampton, Preston, Teesside and Woolwich).
- Section 28 for vulnerable victims and witnesses in Crown Courts rolled out to more Crown Courts. It provides the option to pre-record evidence in advance of a trial for vulnerable complainants of a crime, as well as witnesses, including children.
- Crown Courts continue to deal with a range of work remotely, including sentencing hearings and all urgent applications including applications for bail and applications to extend custody time limits. Pre-trial preparation hearings and further case management hearings are also taking place.
- Magistrates’ courts are now dealing with most business type hearings. Since August 2020, magistrates’ courts have been completing more cases than have been received and the number of sittings are almost at pre-COVID levels. We are working hard to return this to 100%, in a COVID-safe way.
- The judiciary has published a note of listing in magistrates’ courts during coronavirus outbreak.
- Common Platform is our new, digital case management system, now beginning rollout to a series of early adopter courts. As each court goes live with Common Platform, defence solicitors and barristers will need to register for accounts before any hearings they attend. This will allow on-the-day check-in, self-serving access to case material, and linking to a case/defendant for payment purposes for the Legal Aid Agency.
- All questions about paying an outstanding criminal court fine should be sent to our National Compliance and Enforcement Service at NCESWE@justice.gov.uk or call 0300 123 9252.
Family
Civil
Tribunals
Royal Courts of Justice
- The Royal Courts of Justice operational update: The Royal Courts of Justice operational update w/c 16 November 2020 (PDF, 78.7KB, 1 page).
- The High Court is covering work according to the High Court Contingency Plan.
- Queen’s Bench Masters Listing and Action Department Information for Court Users (PDF, 580KB, 14 pages)
- Queen’s Bench Division Information for Court Users (PDF, 279KB, 4 pages)
- More detailed guidance for the Administrative Court Office. Administrative Court Office guidance (PDF, 556KB, 8 pages)
- The Court of Appeal Civil Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Civil urgent business priorities. Court of Appeal Civil urgent business priorities w/c 16 November 2020 (PDF, 90.7KB, 1 page).
- The Court of Appeal Criminal Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Criminal Emergency Plan. RCJ Court of Appeal Criminal Division update w/c 16 November 2020 (PDF, 102KB, 3 pages).
- Royal Courts of Justice Fees Office Information for Court Users (PDF, 436KB, 2 pages)
- The Senior Costs Judge has published a note on hearings and detailed assessments in the Senior Courts Costs Office Senior Courts Costs Office update (PDF, 64.6KB, 3 pages).
Judicial announcements
Previous editions
Published 24 April 2020
Last updated 13 November 2020 + show all updates