The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the justice system in the UK, with many court cases being delayed due to social distancing restrictions and other pandemic-related issues. To address the backlog of cases, the government has invested £477 million over the next three years, and part of this investment includes keeping 24 temporary Nightingale courtrooms open in 2023.
These temporary courtrooms were set up in 2020, using buildings such as sports arenas, hotels, and conference centers, to provide more space for jury trials and comply with social distancing measures. Their success has led to their continued use in providing additional capacity, and their availability will help tackle the backlog of cases that have accumulated over the last couple of years.
The announcement of the continued use of Nightingale courts is part of a wider range of measures that have been implemented by the Ministry of Justice to address the backlog of cases. In addition to allowing courts to run at full capacity, the government has doubled the sentencing powers of magistrates and recruited more judges to handle the increased demand. The statutory retirement age has also been raised to retain experienced judges and magistrates.
These measures have already had a positive impact, with the number of cases in the backlog falling by almost 800 in the last two months of 2022 after barristers ended their strike action. From a peak of 60,900 cases during June 2021, the outstanding caseload in the Crown Court dropped to 58,200 at the end of March 2022, before rising to 62,000 in October 2022 due to strike action. Outstanding cases in the Magistrates’ Court have also fallen by nearly a quarter since July 2020.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab, has expressed his determination to provide swift justice to victims and has stated that the continued use of Nightingale courts will help to drive the backlog down even further.
The investment in the justice system is a positive step towards reducing the backlog of cases and providing justice to those who have been affected by delays. The continued use of Nightingale courts and the wider measures being implemented by the Ministry of Justice will provide a much-needed boost to the capacity of the courts and help to speed up the handling of cases.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
