Hearings began this week at one of the Blackstone courts, at East Pallant House, Chichester. The rest will be up and running in August to hear civil, family and tribunals work and non-custodial crime cases.
The sites include Swansea Council Chambers, the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) headquarters at Petty France near London’s Victoria Station and the medieval Knights’ Chamber by Peterborough Cathedral. The MoJ is scouting for potential sites for additional Nightingale courts to add to the ten.
However, Goodwin said: ‘We were promised so much and delivered so little.
‘What’s happened to the 200 court rooms that we were promised only two or three months ago? A mere ten and not all for crime is hardly going to scratch the surface.’
Law Society president Simon Davis called for closed but unsold courts and other unused public buildings to be used.
