Historic Yorkshire building will be used as a ‘Nightingale court’
THE historic Cloth Hall Court in Leeds is to open as a “Nightingale court” to help the justice system cope with a backlog of cases built up during the coronavirus pandemic.
The building, on Quebec Street in the city centre, has been named as one of 10 emergency venues across England to open to ensure “the wheels of justice keep turning”, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.
Magistrates’ courts in England and Wales are facing a backlog of some 480,000 cases, while crown courts – where the most serious offences like rape and murder are dealt with – are reporting a pileup of some 41,000 cases, according to MoJ data for June.
The MoJ said the new courts would create more space for existing courts to hear serious jury trials, which were temporarily paused as the lockdown took effect.
A court set up in East Pallant House, Chichester, is expected to begin hearing cases next week, with all 10 locations – which also include Middlesbrough Town Hall – aiming to be operational by next month.
After jury trials were halted in March and about half of all courts closed, up to nine in 10 hearings have used remote technology to continue making progress throughout the pandemic. Some jury trials resumed in May, after almost two months on hold.
Jury trials returned at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday of last week.
Last month, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland warned that clearing the lockdown-induced backlog could continue into next year.
Mr Buckland said of the new interim courts: “They will help boost capacity across our courts and tribunals – reducing delays and delivering speedier justice for victims.
“But we won’t stop there. Together with the judiciary, courts staff and legal sector, I am determined that we must pursue every available option to ensure our courts recover as quickly as possible.”
Now a meeting and conference venue, Cloth Hall Court was a focal point for the textile trade between the 18th and 19th centuries.