Guidance
HMCTS weekly operational summary on courts and tribunals during coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
This page provides a weekly summary of the HM Courts and Tribunals Service operational position during the coronavirus pandemic. We will aim to update this every Friday at 5pm.
From Friday 24 April 2020 we are issuing weekly updates on our operational position and we’ll email our subscribers each Sunday evening with a reminder. On Monday mornings we’ll also publish a link to the weekly update on Twitter.
You can see our previously issued daily operational updates.
Follow us on @HMCTSgovuk to also check for daily or urgent updates.
We’ll keep this under review.
HMCTS operational summary for week commencing Monday 25 May 2020
Next week’s update will be issued on Friday 29 May 2020.
- We have many online court and tribunal services available to professional users and members of the public. These remove the need to contact us by phone, email or post.
- We have comprehensively assessed risk to staff and users and are ensuring the safety of anyone who comes in to our buildings by applying published court and tribunal coronavirus safety controls. These have been endorsed by Public Health England and Public Health Wales.
- We’re consolidating the work of courts and tribunals into fewer buildings. Some building are open to the public, some buildings are staffed but are not open to the public, and some buildings are temporarily closed. The list was updated 22 May 2020.
- Where courts and tribunals are closed, we’ll contact parties directly to confirm new hearing arrangements. We’ll contact those parties whose hearings were scheduled to happen first, and work our way through the list as quickly as possible. Please be patient while we do this, and avoid making contact if you can.
- The Kinly Cloud Video Platform (CVP) is being rolled out to Crown and magistrates’ courts, across England and Wales. See the timetable for rollout to Crown courts. It is also being introduced to Civil and Family courts. Please see our updated telephone and video hearings during coronavirus outbreak and a guide on how to join a telephone and video hearing.
- We’ve published guidance on how to join a CVP hearing and instructions for downloading Skype for Business in order to join a court hearing.
- We’re continuing to avoid physical hearings and arranging remote hearings wherever possible. Anyone who requires technical support for a telephone or video hearing can 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. .
- Our South East region will only be taking calls between 10am to 2pm in all jurisdictions (with the exceptions on the next line).
- Chelmsford, Norwich, Ipswich and Basildon Crown Courts are temporarily unable to answer calls. The recorded message will advise you what to do.
- We’ve introduced temporary new hours in our Scotland contact centre. .
- Welsh Language services available during the coronavirus outbreak. .
Crime
- The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Burnett of Maldon has announced that new jury trials will start in a few courts week commencing 18 May 2020. This followed discussions with the Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP.
- Some new jury trials have commenced under special arrangements to maintain the safety of all participants, including jurors. Four Crown courts started to hold jury trials last week and we expect jury trials at Reading Crown Court, Warwick Crown Court and Winchester Crown Court to start this week.
- Message from the Chair of the Jury Trials Working Group on resumption of jury trials: 22 May 2020.
- Crown Courts are dealing with a range of work, much of which is being done remotely. This includes 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 continue to cover urgent work, such as cases where the defendant is being held in police or prison custody. The courts are also dealing with Domestic Violence Protection Orders and giving priority to offences which are committed in circumstances linked to the present Covid-19 pandemic. .
- Domestic abuse cases are being prioritised for summary trial and are being listed for hearing following rigorous case management by judges and legal advisers. The Judiciary has published a note of listing in magistrates’ courts during coronavirus outbreak.
- Various other work including police traffic prosecution prosecutions, is being with dealt with remotely using the Single Justice Procedure.
- We are making plans to start dealing with other cases where the defendant is on bail, during June.
- All questions about paying an outstanding criminal court fine should be sent to our National Compliance and Enforcement Service at NCESBCT@justice.gov.uk or call 0300 123 9252.
Family
- Family courts business priorities. .
- Family court C100 (child arrangements) guidance. .
- Guidance on replacement of affidavits with statements of truth in non-contentious probate processes.
- Coronavirus contingency arrangements for Family Law Act injunctions. .
Civil
- Civil court listing priorities. .
Tribunals
- Various user help guides published: Administrative Appeals Chamber, Employment Tribunals, General Regulatory Chamber, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (First-Tier Tribunal): Special Education Needs & Disability, Care Standards and Primary Health Lists, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (First-Tier Tribunal): Mental Health, Immigration and Asylum Chamber, Lands Chamber, Property Chamber, Tax and Chancery Chamber (Upper Tier), Tax Chamber First Tier, War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber and Property Chamber.
- Payment of fees to the Lands Chamber, Payment of application and hearing fees to the Property Chamber.
- First tier tax tribunal operational update .
- Property and General Regulatory Chamber operational updates .
- The Judiciary have published a frequently asked questions document on Employment Tribunals during the coronavirus for parties who are representing themselves and professional representatives.
- Mental Health Tribunal telephone hearing guidance. .
- First Tier Immigration and Asylum Tribunal operational update. .
- Upper Tier Immigration and Asylum Tribunal operational update. .
- 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. .
Royal Courts of Justice
- The Royal Courts of Justice Operational Update: .
- The High Court is covering work according to the High Court Contingency Plan. More detailed guidance for the Administrative Court Office. More detailed guidance for the Queen’s Bench. .
- The Court of Appeal Civil Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Civil urgent business priorities. .
- The Court of Appeal Criminal Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Criminal Emergency Plan. .
- The Royal Courts of Justice Fees Office has temporarily closed. .
Judicial announcements
Previous editions
Published 24 April 2020
Last updated 22 May 2020 + show all updates
Last updated 22 May 2020 + show all updates
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Update for w/c 25 May 2020 added.
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Update for w/c 18 May 2020 added.
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Updaye for w/c 11 May added.
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Updated for week commencing 4 May 2020 added.
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Added translation