Majority of Nightingale Courts in the North West to close by the end of March

During the pandemic, the UK government set up a number of Nightingale Courts across England and Wales to help reduce the backlog of cases waiting to be heard. There have been significant backlogs for several years, which then increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sports arenas, hotels and conference centers were transformed into Nightingale courts to provide sufficient space for social distancing between lawyers, witnesses, defendants and staff. 

It has now been announced by the Ministry of Justice that almost half of these temporary courts will close within weeks. The temporary courtrooms set up at Hilton Hotels in Manchester and Liverpool, the University of Bolton Stadium and Chester’s Crowne Plaza Hotel will close by the end of March 2022. 

The number of outstanding cases in the North West has dropped in recent months and the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions means that courtroom capacity can return to pre-pandemic levels.

The contents of this article do not constitute legal advice and are provided for general information purposes only.