HMCTS operational summary 26 March 2020

* Jury trials that are underway continue
* No new jury trials
* Crown Courts are only covering urgent work
* Magistrates’ courts only covering urgent work (overnight custody and people brought from prison): Magistrates’ court cases update; 26 March 2020 (PDF, 213KB, 1 page). We are working closely with partner agencies across the criminal justice system to put in place processes that will enable us to expand the range of work undertaken as soon as we can do so. We will provide further updates once we are in a position to start put these arrangements in place.
* High Court and Court of Appeal are only covering urgent work
* Personal attendance at hearings in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) have been suspended and no cases are being heard today. All parties have been notified and new dates will be communicated once confirmed
* We’ll avoid physical hearings and arranging remote hearings wherever possible
* We’ve introduced social distancing measures in courts and tribunals where physical attendance is necessary
* Staff and judges are continuing in their essential work
* We’re looking at how we prioritise work and deliver essential services over the coming weeks
* Judicial Office has published a number of important updates by jurisdiction

Please visit our GOV.UK page for all operational updates.