Fleetwood's Nightingale Court to remain open for another year in bid to cut backlogs of cases

A total of 24 temporary courtrooms, which were set up to boost capacity during the pandemic, will remain open in 2023 to allow more cases to be heard.

The Government is investing £477 million over next three years to tackle the Crown Court backlog which significantly increased because of the pandemic.

This includes allowing courts to run at full capacity, doubling the sentencing powers of Magistrates, and recruiting even more judges.

Courts in Fleetwood; Telford, Shropshire; Birmingham and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands; Cirencester, Gloucestershire; Swansea in Wales; London; Croydon; and Maidstone in Kent, will remain open.

But another court in Leeds will close from April because the Courts and Tribunal Service is no longer able to use the building.

Cases will be moved to other courts in the Yorkshire city and Bradford.

Justice Secretary 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.”

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 announcement marks the third year of the use of Nightingale courts.