Emergency 'Nightingale' courts to be set up in Stevenage and Peterborough

People sitting on the green outside Peterborough cathedral
The Bishop's Palace in Peterborough - on the right in this picture - will host one of the new temporary courts Credit: ITV Anglia

Temporary courts are to be set up to help clear the backlog of cases built up during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that ten will be created across the country, two of which will be in Stevenage and Peterborough.

The courts will hear non-custodial crime cases as well as tribunals, family and civil matters to ensure "the wheels of justice keep turning", the MoJ said.

In Peterborough, the court will be located at the Bishop's Palace on the grounds of the city's cathedral.

Hertfordshire Development Centre on Six Hills Way will host Stevenage's temporary court, which have been dubbed 'Nightingale courts' after the emergency hospitals set up by the NHS to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Magistrates' courts in England and Wales are facing a backlog of some 480,000 cases, while crown courts - where the most serious offences like rape and murder are dealt with - are dealing with a pile-up of some 41,000 cases, according to MoJ data for June.

The MoJ said the new courts would create more space for existing courts to hear serious jury trials, which were temporarily paused as lockdown took effect.

The courts in both Stevenage and Peterborough are aiming to become operational in August.

After jury trials were halted in March and around half of courts closed, up to nine in 10 hearings have used remote technology to continue making progress throughout the pandemic, it added.

Some jury trials resumed in May, after almost two months on hold, but last month Justice Secretary Robert Buckland QC warned that clearing the lockdown-induced backlog could continue into next year.

Mr Buckland said of the new interim courts: "They will help boost capacity across our courts and tribunals - reducing delays and delivering speedier justice for victims.

"But we won't stop there. Together with the judiciary, courts staff and legal sector, I am determined that we must pursue every available option to ensure our courts recover as quickly as possible."