We are currently issuing weekly updates on our operational position. Follow us on @HMCTSgovuk to also check for daily or urgent updates.

Next week’s update will be issued on Friday 4 September 2020.

• Updated: On Friday 28 August 2020, Cloth Hall Court in Leeds, and the Knights’ Chamber at Peterborough Cathedral became operational as Nightingale Court sites. These sites will add temporary capacity to hear cases, and help the court and tribunal system to run as effectively and safely as possible during the coronavirus outbreak.

• Updated: Public Health England and Machester City Council have confirmed that the Crown Court at Manchester Crown Square is safe to open. The court building reopened Wednesday 26 Aug for remote hearings only. Physical hearings are planned to be held from 1 September. See our update for court users issued 26 August 2020 for more information.

• The Kinly Cloud Video Platform (CVP) is available in Crown and magistrates’ courts across England and Wales to support video enabled hearings. We are extending the availability of our new video platform to civil and family courts, to enable more remote cases to be heard safely and securely. For more info on joining telephone and video hearings please see our guide. We’ve also published information for legal practitioners who are involved in video enabled criminal hearings. If you require technical support for a telephone or video hearing call 0330 8089405.

• Our Courts and Tribunals Service Centres will be available from 8am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 4pm on Fridays until further notice. Courts and Tribunals Service Centre - advice on contacting HMCTS during coronavirus (PDF, 194KB, 5 pages).

• Welsh Language services available during the coronavirus outbreak. Welsh language services update (PDF, 133KB, 1 page).

Crime

• Updated: From Tuesday 1 September 2020, jury trials will have resumed in 67 Crown Courts.
• Updated: From week commencing Monday 31 August 2020 we plan to install plexiglass screens in 36 courtrooms and 28 deliberating rooms across the Crown Court estate, in order to safely resume jury trials.
• Liverpool Crown Court has started testing COVID-19 Operating Hours. This will help increase our capacity to hear cases and reduce the backlog that has built up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Jury trials in the Crown Court resumed on 18 May 2020. The courts continue to deal with a range of work remotely, including sentencing hearings and all urgent applications including applications for bail and applications to extend custody time limits. Pre-trial preparation hearings and further case management hearings are also taking place.
• Magistrates’ courts and the youth courts are now dealing with all criminal business types. Urgent cases such as those where the defendant is being held in police or prison custody will continue to take priority. continue to cover urgent work, such as cases where the defendant is being held in police or prison custody. Magistrates' court cases (PDF, 113KB, 1 page).
• The number of summary trials listed is increasing, whilst still ensuring prioritisation is given to cases involving an allegation of domestic abuse and Domestic Violence Protection Orders.
• Cases where defendants are on bail and require listing in either a GAP or NGAP court are also being heard.
• The judiciary has published a note of listing in magistrates’ courts during coronavirus outbreak.
• Various other work including police traffic prosecutions, continue to be dealt with remotely using the Single Justice Procedure.
• All questions about paying an outstanding criminal court fine should be sent to our National Compliance and Enforcement Service at NCESWE@justice.gov.uk or call 0300 123 9252.

Family

• As of 24 August 2020 all consented applications must now be submitted using MyHMCTS. Visit the HMCTS online services for legal professionals page to register and find more information.
• Family courts business priorities. Family court business priorities w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 87.6KB, 1 page).
• Family court C100 (child arrangements) guidance. Family court: Child Arrangements C100 application guidance (PDF, 120KB, 1 page).
• Guidance on replacement of affidavits with statements of truth in non-contentious probate processes.
• Coronavirus contingency arrangements for Family Law Act injunctions. Family Law Act injunctions changes (PDF, 126KB, 1 page).

Civil

• Civil court listing priorities. Civil court listing priorities w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 76.4KB, 1 page).

Tribunals

• We have produced a video providing an overview of the coronavirus measures we have in place at one of our Immigration and Asylum tribunal centres.
• The judiciary have published a new version of the User Guide for the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
• Payment of fees to the Lands Chamber, Payment of application and hearing fees to the Property Chamber.
• First-tier Tax Tribunal operational update First Tier Tax Tribunal operational update w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 159KB, 1 page).
• Property and General Regulatory Chamber operational updates Property and General Regulatory Chamber operational updates w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 38.1KB, 1 page).
• The judiciary have published a frequently asked questions document on Employment Tribunals during the coronavirus for parties who are representing themselves and professional representatives.
• The judiciary have published a frequently asked questions document for the First-Tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) during the coronavirus to assist users to better understand the services the tribunal is currently providing. First-Tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) covid-19 frequently asked questions (PDF, 165KB, 5 pages)
• Mental Health Tribunal telephone hearing guidance. Mental Health Tribunal telephone guidance (PDF, 86KB, 1 page).
• First-tier Immigration and Asylum Tribunal operational update. First Tier IAC operational update w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 88.7KB, 1 page).
• Updated: Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber operational update. Upper Tier IAC operational update w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 150KB, 1 page).
• The Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber has made changes to the way it currently works. Since Thursday 30 April 2020, all Judicial Review applications can be lodged using email. Upper Tribunal IAC Judicial Review changes (PDF, 173KB, 2 pages).

Royal Courts of Justice

• Rule changes regarding Writs of Possession have been approved by the Civil Procedure Rule Committee and are effective as of Monday 24 August Writs of Possession rule changes (PDF, 35.4KB, 1 page).
• The Royal Courts of Justice operational update: The Royal Courts of Justice operational update w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 78.7KB, 1 page).
• The High Court is covering work according to the High Court Contingency Plan.
• More detailed guidance for the Administrative Court Office. Administrative Court Office guidance (PDF, 290KB, 8 pages) Queen's Bench guidance (PDF, 394KB, 3 pages)
• More detailed guidance for the Queen’s Bench. Queen's Bench guidance - Interim Applications Court (PDF, 166KB, 1 page) Queen's Bench guidance - Bulletin 1 (PDF, 258KB, 3 pages) Queen's Bench information for court users (PDF, 592KB, 12 pages) HMCTS Document Upload Centre - Professional User's Guide (PDF, 511KB, 3 pages) Queen's Bench guidance - Document Upload Centre (PDF, 62.7KB, 1 page).
• The Court of Appeal Civil Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Civil urgent business priorities. Court of Appeal Civil urgent business priorities w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 90KB, 1 page).
• The Court of Appeal Criminal Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Criminal Emergency Plan. RCJ Court of Appeal Criminal Division update w/c 31 August 2020 (PDF, 102KB, 3 pages).
• The Royal Courts of Justice Fees Office is currently open to the public between 10am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday Royal Courts of Justice Fees Office update (PDF, 437KB, 1 page).
• The Senior Costs Judge has published a note on hearings and detailed assessments in the Senior Courts Costs Office Senior Courts Costs Office update (PDF, 64.6KB, 3 pages).

Judicial announcements

• The Judicial Office has published important advice and guidance, including user help guides.

 

Please visit our GOV.UK page for all operational updates