Nightingale courts to remain open in 2023

A total of 24 temporary courtrooms, which were set up to boost capacity during the pandemic, will remain open in 2023 to allow more cases to be heard.

The government is investing £477 million over next three years to tackle the Crown Court backlog which significantly increased because of the pandemic. This includes allowing courts to run at full capacity, doubling the sentencing powers of Magistrates, and recruiting even more judges.

The announcement marks the third year of the use of Nightingale courts and comes alongside a raft of measures implemented by the Ministry of Justice to tackle the backlog of court cases.

Last year, the Government lifted the cap on the number of days courts can sit to help them run at maximum capacity, and doubled Magistrates’ sentencing powers so they can hear more cases, freeing up an estimated 1,700 extra days of Crown Court time each year.

Recruiting even more new judges and raising the statutory retirement age is also helping meet increased demand, estimated to retain hundreds of judges and as many as 2,000 magistrates every year.

I know from my constituents' cases just how distressing It can be to wait for justice and for criminals to be put behind bars and that's why I welcome the steps the Government is taking to double magistrates' sentencing power and recruit even more judges. These measures will help to build capacity in our courts and help rebuild the trust of my constituents in the judicial system.