• March 29, 2024
 HMCTS operational position: weekly summary update

HMCTS operational position: weekly summary update

HMCTS have updated their operational summary for week commencing Monday 24th May 2021.

  • Updated: We actively encourage our staff and all court users to support their local authorities by taking part in surge testing in areas affected by variants of concern. We also strongly encourage everyone to continue with twice-weekly asymptomatic rapid testing regardless of their vaccination status. Anyone who tests positive should self-isolate and follow the latest NHS advice.
  • Updated: We published a blog from our Operations Director, Paul Harris, on how we’re ensuring the safety of everyone who attends our buildings following the latest announcement on the relaxation of COVID restrictions.
  • Updated: We published a blog by Deputy Service Manager, Dan Hodges, on the recent rollout of sobriety tags.
  • Updated: While we carry out IT service improvements in our Court and Tribunal Service Centres, from 3.30pm on Friday 21 May 2021 Social Security and Child Support services will be temporarily unavailable. Single Justice Service and Welsh Language Unit services will be temporarily unavailable from 4pm. These services resume at 8am on Monday 24 May 2021. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
  • Home tests are available from all English and Welsh courts and tribunal sites and will be offered to all professional court users, legal professionals, judiciary, contractors, jurors, witness services and staff who attend scheduled hearings.
  • We are currently undertaking an evaluation of remote hearings to understand more about the remote hearing practice implemented during the COVID outbreak, and to make recommendations for use of remote hearings in the longer term. We encourage legal professionals to submit their views for consideration. The survey will close on Tuesday 1 June 2021.
  • If you received an email from us on Friday 21 May 2021 titled ‘Register for LegalEx2021’ we should have made it clearer in the body of the email that this is a third party event, and we were sharing LegalEx21 promotional material. We’ll be one of the LegalEx21 exhibitors – at Stand 140 – but we’re not involved in organising the event, arranging speakers or seminars. Find out more about LegalEx21 and we look forward to seeing you there next month.

Civil

Royal Courts of Justice

  • Updated: The Royal Courts of Justice remains open to the public, however some counters and court facilities have temporarily closed. There is currently no counter service in the Court of Appeal (Civil and Criminal), Queen’s Bench Division, Administrative Court or Mayor’s and City Court. There is a counter service by appointment only in the Fees Office, High Court Family and Central London County Court. Café 26 remains closed.

Judicial Announcements

Stay up to date with the latest advice and guidance from the Judicial Office

Please visit our GOV.UK page for all operational updates

Jennifer van Deursen