HMCTS weekly operational update: week commencing 1 June 2020

• We have many online court and tribunal services available to professional users and members of the public. These remove the need to contact us by phone, email or post.
• We have comprehensively assessed risk to staff and users and are ensuring the safety of anyone who comes in to our buildings by applying published court and tribunal coronavirus safety controls, including an organisational risk assessment, assessment tool and additional guidance for regular court users. These have been endorsed by Public Health England and Public Health Wales.
• We’re consolidating the work of courts and tribunals into fewer buildings. Some building are open to the public, some buildings are staffed but are not open to the public, and some buildings are temporarily closed. The list was updated 29 May 2020.
• Where courts and tribunals are closed, we’ll contact parties directly to confirm new hearing arrangements. We’ll contact those parties whose hearings were scheduled to happen first, and work our way through the list as quickly as possible. Please be patient while we do this, and avoid making contact if you can.
• The Kinly Cloud Video Platform (CVP) is being rolled out to Crown and magistrates’ courts, across England and Wales. On May 27 2020, we updated the timetable for the rollout of CVP to Crown courts. It is also being introduced to Civil and Family courts. Please see our updated telephone and video hearings during coronavirus outbreak and a guide on how to join a telephone and video hearing.
• We’ve published guidance on how to join a CVP hearing and instructions for downloading Skype for Business in order to join a court hearing.
• We’re continuing to avoid physical hearings and arranging remote hearings wherever possible. Anyone who requires technical support for a telephone or video hearing can call 0330 8089405.
• Our Courts and Tribunals Service Centres will be available from 8am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 4pm on Fridays until further notice. Courts and Tribunals Service Centre - advice on contacting HMCTS during coronavirus (PDF, 303KB, 4 pages).
• Our South East region will only be taking calls between 10am to 2pm in all jurisdictions (with the exceptions on the next line).
• Chelmsford, Norwich, Ipswich and Basildon Crown Courts are temporarily unable to answer calls. The recorded message will advise you what to do.
• We’ve introduced temporary new hours in our Scotland contact centre. HMCTS Scotland contact centre opening hours w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 149KB, 1 page).
• Welsh Language services available during the coronavirus outbreak. Welsh language services update w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 256KB, 1 page).

Crime

• The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Burnett of Maldon has announced that new jury trials will start in a few courts week commencing 18 May 2020. This followed discussions with the Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP.
• Some new jury trials have commenced under special arrangements to maintain the safety of all participants, including jurors.
• Message from the Chair of the Jury Trials Working Group on resumption of jury trials: 22 May 2020.
• Crown Courts are dealing with a range of work, much of which is being done remotely. This includes sentencing hearings and all urgent applications including applications for bail and applications to extend custody time limits. Pre-trial preparation hearings and further case management hearings are also taking place.
• Magistrates’ courts continue to cover urgent work, such as cases where the defendant is being held in police or prison custody. The courts are also dealing with Domestic Violence Protection Orders and giving priority to offences which are committed in circumstances linked to the present coronavirus pandemic. Magistrates' court cases update: w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 236KB, 1 page).
• Domestic abuse cases are being prioritised for summary trial and are being listed for hearing following rigorous case management by judges and legal advisers. The Judiciary has published a note of listing in magistrates’ courts during coronavirus outbreak.
• Various other work including police traffic prosecution prosecutions, is being with dealt with remotely using the Single Justice Procedure.
• We are making plans to start dealing with other cases where the defendant is on bail, during June.
• All questions about paying an outstanding criminal court fine should be sent to our National Compliance and Enforcement Service at NCESBCT@justice.gov.uk or call 0300 123 9252.

Family

• Family courts business priorities. Family court business priorities w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 164KB, 1 page).
• Family court C100 (child arrangements) guidance. Family court: Child Arrangements C100 application guidance (PDF, 239KB, 1 page).
• Guidance on replacement of affidavits with statements of truth in non-contentious probate processes.
• Coronavirus contingency arrangements for Family Law Act injunctions. Family Law Act injunctions changes (PDF, 320KB, 1 page).

Civil

• Civil court listing priorities. Civil court listing priorities w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 124KB, 1 page).

Tribunals

• Various user help guides published: Administrative Appeals Chamber, Employment Tribunals, General Regulatory Chamber, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (First-Tier Tribunal): Special Education Needs & Disability, Care Standards and Primary Health Lists, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (First-Tier Tribunal): Mental Health, Immigration and Asylum Chamber, Lands Chamber, Property Chamber, Tax and Chancery Chamber (Upper Tier), Tax Chamber First Tier, War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber, Property Chamber and Social Entitlement Chamber (First-Tier Tribunal): Asylum Support.
• Payment of fees to the Lands Chamber, Payment of application and hearing fees to the Property Chamber.
• First tier tax tribunal operational update First Tier IAC operational update w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 466KB, 1 page).
• Property and General Regulatory Chamber operational updates Property and General Regulatory Chamber operational updates w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 64.3KB, 1 page).
• The Judiciary have published a frequently asked questions document on Employment Tribunals during the coronavirus for parties who are representing themselves and professional representatives.
• Mental Health Tribunal telephone hearing guidance. Mental Health Tribunal telephone guidance w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 156KB, 1 page).
• First Tier Immigration and Asylum Tribunal operational update. First Tier IAC operational update w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 164KB, 1 page).
• Upper Tier Immigration and Asylum Tribunal operational update. Upper Tier IAC operational update w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 243KB, 1 page).
• The Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber has made changes to the way it currently works. Since Thursday 30 April 2020, all Judicial Review applications can be lodged using email. Upper Tribunal IAC Judicial Review changes (PDF, 173KB, 2 pages).

Royal Courts of Justice

• The Royal Courts of Justice Operational Update: The Royal Courts of Justice operational update w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 130KB, 1 page).
• The High Court is covering work according to the High Court Contingency Plan. More detailed guidance for the Administrative Court Office. Administrative Court Office guidance (PDF, 270KB, 4 pages) Queen's Bench guidance (PDF, 394KB, 3 pages) More detailed guidance for the Queen’s Bench. Queen's Bench guidance - Interim Applications Court (PDF, 166KB, 1 page) Queen's Bench guidance - Bulletin 1 (PDF, 258KB, 3 pages) Queen's Bench guidance - Bulletin 2 (PDF, 407KB, 3 pages) Queen's Bench guidance - Bulletin 3 (PDF, 241KB, 1 page) Queen's Bench guidance - Bulletin 4 (PDF, 261KB, 2 pages) Queen's Bench guidance - Bulletin 5 (PDF, 168KB, 2 pages) Queen's Bench guidance - Bulletin 6 (PDF, 169KB, 2 pages) Queen's Bench guidance - Bulletin 7 (PDF, 180KB, 2 pages) HMCTS Document Upload Centre - Professional User's Guide (PDF, 511KB, 3 pages) Queen's Bench guidance - Document Upload Centre (PDF, 62.7KB, 1 page).
• The Court of Appeal Civil Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Civil urgent business priorities. Court of Appeal Civil urgent business priorities w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 164KB, 1 page).
• The Court of Appeal Criminal Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Criminal Emergency Plan. RCJ Court of Appeal Criminal Division update w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 164KB, 1 page).
• The Royal Courts of Justice Fees Office will reopen on Monday 1 June 2020. Royal Courts of Justice Fees Office update: w/c 1 June 2020 (PDF, 301KB, 1 page).

Judicial announcements

Judicial Office has published a number of important updates by jurisdiction.