Nick Goodwin, CEO of HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has issued a letter regarding the extension of additional Nightingale Courts.
Additional temporary courts, known as Nightingale courts, were used as one of a range of measures to increase capacity and alleviate the pressure on courts and tribunals during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, many of these sites have continued operating to supplement the permanent court estate, with a planned closure date of March 2024.
However, HMCTS has now decided to extend the use of 20 additional courtrooms at nine Nightingale court venues. The Cirencester, Swansea, Croydon, Fleetwood, Chichester and Telford sites will remain open until March 2025. In London, the Barbican site has been extended to August 2024 and the Grand Connaught Rooms until September 2024. In Birmingham, Maple House has been extended until December 2024.
The Maidstone and Wolverhampton sites will close at the end of March 2024, as the case for retention is no longer strong and cases after this time will return to being heard within the permanent court estate.
CCUA Chair Rob Thompson, commented:
“The CCUA welcomes the extension of the use of the Nightingale Courts. Given the poor service often currently being experienced by civil court users, everything possible should be done to improve the situation.”
