HMCTS Chief Executive announces changes to operation of courts and tribunals buildings during coronavirus outbreak

Letter to stakeholders confirms that, from Monday, in-person hearings will be held in 157 buildings, 124 buildings will support video and telephone hearings, and remaining 89 courts and tribunals will be suspended

Chief Executive of Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Susan Acland-Hood has announced changes to the operation of courts and tribunals buildings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

In a letter to stakeholders today, Ms Acland-Hood says that, from Monday 30 March 2020, there will be two types of HMCTS operating sites -

'The first is for in-person hearings which will be heard in a network of 157 court and tribunal buildings. These will remain open to the public for essential face-to-face hearings. They will also support video and audio hearings.

Media and interested parties will be able to attend physical hearings in these courts to uphold the principles of open justice and, where this is not possible, judicial consideration will be given to enabling them to join a hearing remotely or a receive a transcript afterwards....

The second type of operating sites will be 124 ‘staffed’ buildings that will be used only by HMCTS staff and the judiciary to carry out vital work. They will be closed to the public and professional users.

These buildings will support video and telephone hearings, progress those cases without hearings and ensure continued access to justice. In jurisdictions in which there are still paper-heavy processes, this arrangement will enable us to avoid moving large amounts of paper between sites.'

In addition, Ms Acland-Hood confirms that those 89 courts and tribunals not designated as open to the public or ‘staffed’ will be suspended from Monday and will not be used for the duration of the crisis.

For more information see Ms Acland Hood's letter to stakeholders (27 March 2020).