Law Society welcomes move to make four Nightingale courts permanent

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The Law Society of England and Wales has supported the government’s decision to make four Nightingale courts permanent, with President Mark Evans describing the move as “sensible” in light of the “appalling backlogs in our courts”. Recent data shows that crown court backlogs have hit almost 80,000 cases, with trials listed as far ahead as 2030.

The four previously temporary courts, located in Fleetwood, Telford, Chichester and Cirencester, are the only ones that remained open following a wider initiative that created 60 additional courtrooms. These temporary courtrooms were introduced during the pandemic and operated across a range of venues, including hotels, conference centres, office buildings and even Bolton Wanderers’ football ground. The courts in Fleetwood and Cirencester were established in former magistrates’ court buildings, the Telford site operated from the former county court, and in Chichester the courts were based in the former home of Chichester District Council.

The decision to keep these courts open will provide 11 extra courtrooms. Minister for courts Sarah Sackman said the move to transition these four courts to permanent marked the end of the Nightingale courts initiative. She said: "The permanent courtrooms, as part of our Plan for Change, will help deliver faster justice and give much-needed clarity to victims and the staff who serve them.”

Despite commending the decision, Evans stressed: “The UK government must ensure there are enough judges, court staff and lawyers to work on the cases.

“To bring down the backlogs and ensure truly swift and fair justice, the government must focus on efficiencies and sustained investment across the entire justice system, including reducing the number of cases coming into the courts.”