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Next week’s update will be issued on Friday 4 June 2021.

• Updated: Our courts and tribunals continue to operate as an essential public service, including in areas where the new COVID19 variant is spreading. Everyone required to attend a hearing in person, including jurors and professional users, can travel to our buildings. All our buildings are COVID-secure. Read more about coming to court and our guidance for all users during the pandemic.
• Updated: We are carrying out essential IT improvements next weekend in our Court and Tribunal Service Centres. Family Public Law and Adoption, Virtual Hearings, Audio and Video Helpline, and Online Civil Money Claims services will be temporarily unavailable from 4.30pm on Friday 4 June 2021. These services resume at 8am on Monday 7 June 2021. We are sorry for any delays or inconvenience caused.
• We actively encourage our staff and all court users to support their local authorities by taking part in surge testing in areas affected by variants of concern. We also strongly encourage everyone to continue with twice-weekly asymptomatic rapid testing regardless of their vaccination status. Anyone who tests positive should self-isolate and follow the latest NHS advice.
• Home testing kits are available from all English and Welsh courts and tribunal sites and will be offered to all professional court users, legal professionals, judiciary, contractors, jurors, witness services and staff who attend scheduled hearings.
• We are currently undertaking an evaluation of remote hearings to understand more about the remote hearing practice implemented during the COVID outbreak, and to make recommendations for use of remote hearings in the longer term. We encourage legal professionals to submit their views for consideration. The survey will close on Tuesday 1 June 2021.

Crime

• Updated: Common Platform continues national rollout. The South East (Lewes Crown Court and Brighton, Hastings, Crawley, Horsham and Worthing Magistrates’ Courts), went live on 25 May. Seven further courts are due to go live in June 2021. As of 27 May 2021, a total of 46 courts (13 Crown Courts and 33 magistrates’ courts) are now using Common Platform. The rollout schedule for national rollout dates continues to be on track, with 50% of courts scheduled to go live by the end of August 2021. A full list of courts operating the system is available via GOV.UK.
• Updated: We’ve published a video learning guide for Common Platform.
• The senior judiciary and HMCTS have developed a 5-point plan for the recovery of magistrates’ adult and youth courts dealing with criminal matters.

Civil

• Changes to civil fees came into force on 18 May 2021.This follows an MoJ consultation in December 2020. The statutory instrument (SI) has passed through parliament, and was voted through on 27 and 28 April 2021.

Royal Courts of Justice

• Updated: The Royal Courts of Justice have published updated Adminstrative Court Office user guidance. Administrative Court guidance during coronavirus outbreak (PDF, 431KB, 13 pages).
• The Royal Courts of Justice remains open to the public, however some counters and court facilities have temporarily closed. There is currently no counter service in the Court of Appeal (Civil and Criminal), Queen’s Bench Division, Administrative Court or Mayor’s and City Court. There is a counter service by appointment only in the Fees Office, High Court Family and Central London County Court. Café 26 remains closed.

Judicial announcements

• Stay up to date with the latest advice and guidance from the Judicial Office.