Guidance

Courts and tribunals: living with COVID-19

Guidance to help court and tribunal users reduce the risk of catching an infectious disease like COVID-19 and passing it on to others.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Following new guidance on living with respiratory infections including COVID-19, we relaxed many of the safety measures put in place during the pandemic in England, Wales and Scotland.

Coming to a court or tribunal

Our courts and tribunals in England, Scotland and Wales meet required safety standards and are open for hearings. You should attend your hearing as planned.

If you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to attend a hearing, contact the court or tribunal immediately. We consider alternative arrangements and individual requests on a case by case basis.

If you’re at higher risk from COVID-19 and need to attend a hearing, contact the court or tribunal to let them know so we can keep you safe.

Jury service

If you’re a juror, you’re no longer required to wear a fluid resistant surgical mask in smaller rooms and you can eat and drink in those rooms.

If you’re coming to court as a juror, find out more about doing jury service.

Face coverings

Face coverings are no longer mandatory in any parts of our buildings. If you’re coming to a court or tribunal building, you can continue to wear a face covering if you want to.

Keep up to date

We update you on the operational running of our courts and tribunals through:

Judicial announcements and guidance

Find out what to expect when coming to a court or tribunal building from the judiciary.

Published 8 April 2022
Last updated 17 August 2022 + show all updates
  1. Guidance on custody suites removed.

  2. Updated following changes to guidance in Scotland and Wales.

  3. First published.