Temporary 'Nightingale' courtrooms to continue hearing cases in 2023

Twenty-four temporary courtrooms, so-called 'Nightingale courts' which were set up to boost capacity during the pandemic, will remain open in 2023 to allow more cases to be heard, the Government has announced.

The aim of the measure is to reduce waiting times and deliver “swift justice for victims”. 

'Nightingale' courts were introduced in 2020 when buildings such as sports arenas, hotels, and conference centres were transformed into courtrooms to provide more space for jury trials in line with social distancing restrictions.

The Ministry of Justice said that, "following their success", the use of temporary courtrooms had continued to provide additional capacity.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab, said: “We are determined to provide the swift justice that victims deserve, and Nightingale courts have a vital role to play as our justice system continues to recover from the unprecedented impact of the pandemic and last year’s strike action.

"The Crown Court backlog is now falling once again, and the continued use of these courtrooms will help to drive it down even further.”

The number of cases in the backlog fell by almost 800 cases in the last two months of 2022, after barristers ended strike action, according to the MoJ.

Nightingale courtrooms will remain open at the following 11 sites:

• Former court, Chichester (two Crown court rooms)
• Former county court, Telford (three civil and family court rooms)
• Maple House, Birmingham (two crown Court rooms and two civil family and/or tribunal court rooms)
• Former Magistrates court, Fleetwood (two civil and family court rooms)
• Civic Centre, Swansea (one Crown court room)
• Former Magistrates’ court, Cirencester (one Crown court room, one Magistrates rooms)
• Barbican, London (two Crown court rooms)
• Leonardo Hotel Croydon (two Crown court rooms)
• Grand Connaught Rooms, London (two Crown court rooms)
• Maidstone - Mercure (two Crown court rooms)
• Wolverhampton Park Hall Hotel (two Crown court rooms)

Last year, the Government lifted the cap on the number of days courts can sit to help them run at maximum capacity, and doubled Magistrates’ sentencing powers so they can hear more cases, which is said to have freed up an estimated 1,700 extra days of Crown Court time each year.