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Friday 5 December 2025
A weekly round-up of the latest news and information about courts and tribunals
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The Government has announced reforms to the criminal courts system in response to part one of Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts.
While the announcement sets out the Government’s response on policy measures, HMCTS will immediately stand up a programme of work to prepare for operational implementation once any necessary legislation has been passed.
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Our CEO Nick Goodwin spoke at the OECD Global Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice in Madrid to discuss efforts across countries to advance people and data-driven justice.
He joined a panel on data and user insight, meeting with delegates from around the world to exchange perspectives on justice delivery and showcase the work we have done.
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Our November monthly video covers the recruitment of new Trainee Legal Advisers, the Renters’ Rights Act receiving Royal Assent, new protections for domestic abuse survivors and a podcast on new property developments.
You can watch the highlights from last month in under a minute.
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Courts and tribunals opening times for the Christmas and New Year period are now available. Most courts will be closed over the festive break, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
A small number of magistrates' courts will open on selected dates for remand hearings only.
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Courts Minister Sarah Sackman announced a £92 million annual boost for criminal legal aid solicitors, aiming to build a more sustainable legal aid sector.
The investment is part of longer-term justice system reform to speed up the progression of criminal court cases.
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When a murder trial at Bristol Crown Court required urgent technical support to protect a witness's identity, our staff had less than 48 hours to deliver a solution.
Our latest blog details how the witness was protected due to the team's rapid response, the trial proceeded fairly and open justice was upheld.
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This week we joined the Bar Council’s Legal Services Committee to discuss the Prisoner Escort and Custody Service (PECS) contract, building on our recent blog posts spotlighting the service.
We looked at some of the challenges across the criminal justice system and ways to drive improvements to the service in the future with invaluable input and support of legal professionals.
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