Nightingale court closure
Three Nightingale courts hosting criminal cases will shut by the end of June, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed, despite calls for more court capacity.
Chester Town Hall, Lancaster Town Hall and Birmingham Theatre and Library – which handle Crown court cases, magistrates’ work and non-custodial crime work – are scheduled for closure. According to local news reports, Chester Town Hall has already heard its final case..
Last month, the government revealed that 12 of the 30 make-shift court buildings currently in operation have hire agreements which expire in June. However, the MoJ said it has now negotiated extensions to 14 courtrooms and remains ‘in close contact with the landlords of all existing venues’.
Justice minister Chris Philp also told the House of Commons this week that a ‘super-court’ dedicated to Crown work will open in Loughborough in the late summer to accommodate large multi-hander trials.
