New Nightingale Courts 'a step in the right direction' say barristers
Responding to the government’s announcement of more temporary courtrooms and a first ‘super courtroom’, Chair of the Bar Council, Derek Sweeting QC said:
“A huge effort is needed to get the current delays and backlogs in the courts back down to acceptable levels, so a super-courtroom and many more Nightingale Courts are certainly steps in the right direction.
"The Bar Council has been calling for the number of Nightingale Courts to be increased to 60 so it is promising to see the government’s ambition to hit this target by the end of March. But these spaces need to be adequately staffed, testing needs to be widespread and justice needs greater financial support as a whole if we are to come out of this crisis with a system that can withstand knocks and deliver access to justice for the public.”
