A Nightingale Court is a temporary

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...

established in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. In July 2020,

Robert Buckland Sir Robert James Buckland (born 22 September 1968) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Wales from July to October 2022. He previously served as Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor from 2019 to 2021. A me ...

, the United Kingdom's

Secretary of State for Justice The secretary of state for justice, also referred to as the justice secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the Un ...

, announced that ten temporary courts would be established in venues across England and Wales, including a medieval chamber and at the headquarters of the

Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...

, saying that they would help with "reducing delays and delivering speedier justice for victims". Their role was to hear civil and family cases, tribunals work, and non-custodial criminal cases. The new courts would provide more room in current courts for hearings where cells and secure dock facilities are needed, including jury trials where the defendant is in custody. They were a response to the closure of about half of existing courts unable to provide services in

lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...

conditions where, for example, jury trials could not be held as large, well-ventilated spaces were not available. The term for the temporary courts is derived from the establishment of temporary hospitals to house the surplus of patients created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the first being NHS Nightingale in Canning Town, East London. The hospital is named after the nursing pioneer

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...

. In September 2020 a temporary court was established at the

Lowry Theatre The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, City of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England ...

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority, combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: City of Manchester, Manchester, City of Salford, Salford ...

. A further court was also established at

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre c ...

from December 2020 to July 2021. This move was not well received, with press reports highlighting that the move had "alienated staff, audiences and cultural workforce", leading to criticism from prominent figures, including the comedian

Joe Lycett Joe Harry Lycett, also known by the self-given moniker Mummy, is an English comedian, painter and television presenter. Known for his sardonically camp style, whimsical public stunts and elaborate set designs, Lycett has been described as one ...

and the ending of a partnership with

Talawa Theatre Company Talawa Theatre Company is a Black British theatre company founded in 1986.

. In Lancaster, the old Magistrates' Court within the Town Hall was brought back into use as a Nightingale Court while the Ashton Hall was similarly used as an emergency Crown Court. In March 2022 it was announced that about half of the Nightingale courts were to close. While lockdown no longer applied, half were left open to help deal with a very large backlog of cases; even before the covid pandemic the court system was stretched. Eleven courts were scheduled to close at the end of March: in Middlesbrough, Peterborough, Nottingham, Warwick, Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Chester, Winchester, Barbican and Croydon. Courts in Maidstone, Chichester, Telford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Leeds, Swansea, Cirencester, Fleetwood, and Petty France and Monument in London were to stay open until March 2023.

References

External links

* 2020 establishments in England 2020 establishments in Wales Courts of England and Wales COVID-19 pandemic in England COVID-19 pandemic in Wales {{COVID-19-stub