Ministry of Justice identifies ten locations for ‘Nightingale Courts’ to help deal with coronavirus delays

July 19, 2020

The Lord Chancellor has named an initial ten locations for so-called ‘Nightingale Courts’ which will hear civil, family and tribunals work as well as non-custodial crime cases.

The locations – and the types of work they will handle – are:

Former court building at Telford (Annex for the Telford Justice Centre), Shropshire - Civil and/or Family jurisdictions.
Former court building at Fleetwood (Annex for Preston or Blackpool Magistrates’ Court), Lancashire - Civil and/or Family jurisdictions.
Hertfordshire Development Centre, Stevenage, Hertfordshire - Civil.
Swansea Council Chambers, Swansea – Non-custodial crime (i.e. defendant is on bail).
Cloth Hall Court, Leeds, Yorkshire - Civil trial work and Business and Property Court.
Middlesbrough Town Hall, Teesside - Initially Civil hearings. Later to be used for hybrid Civil hearings and Family.
East Pallant House, Chichester, Sussex - Civil and Family work.
102 Petty France, Central London - Family jurisdiction. (home of the MoJ)
Prospero House, Central London - Non-custodial crime (i.e. defendant is on bail).
The Knights’ Chamber and Visitor Centre, Gatehouse, Bishops Palace, Peterborough – non-custodial corporate crime.

The Ministry of Justice said that the new courts would free up room in existing courts to hear other cases, including custodial jury trials.

It added that work was ongoing to identify more potential locations.

The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland, said: “Nightingale Courts 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.”