Look for Nightingales on the Law Society map

The map can be found at: bit.ly/3anI7Fm.

So far, the government has announced 10 Nightingale courts to help reduce the cases backlog. However, only two are currently up and running. The interactive map will be updated as more of the temporary courts open.

Law Society president Simon Davis said: ‘After years of underfunding and cuts, there were already significant backlogs across the civil and criminal justice systems. 

‘This has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic―with the number of outstanding cases standing at more than 500,000. We believe the government can build court capacity to clear the backlog by using unused public buildings―including court buildings which have been closed but have remained unsold―as Nightingale courts. 

‘We have repeatedly made clear to the Ministry of Justice that extended hours are not the right approach to tackling the backlogs in the courts because of the significant impact they would have on court users, legal practitioners and how our justice system functions. Investing in legal aid for early advice and legal representation would help to nip problems in the bud before they escalate and ensure judicial time is used as efficiently as possible in cases which do go to court. 

‘Before looking at extended hours, the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunals Service must ensure that it is making maximum use of normal court hours and the existing court estate, quickly take up further building space and avoid any restrictions on judges sitting while there are courtrooms (real, virtual or Nightingale) available.’