Vulnerable witnesses in Wales, Manchester and East Anglia can pre-record cross-examination evidence from today, as the government promises to make the option available in all Crown courts by the end of the year.

Police forces can no longer afford to support HM Courts & Tribunals Service during the pandemic by running virtual remand hearings from their custody suites, meaning that defendants will be required to appear in court in person, the Gazette can reveal.

The prime minister today broadened his government's attack on 'lefty human rights lawyers' by publicly accusing them of hampering the criminal justice process. The Law Society said his 'divisive language' puts lawyers and their clients at risk.  

Outdated technology known to be vulnerable to cyber-attacks is still being relied upon in the criminal court estate, the Gazette has learned.  

Less than a fifth of vulnerable clients are properly served by remote hearings, a solicitor survey has revealed, as the Law Society warns that coronavirus is having a disproportionate impact on people who rely heavily on the state.

An arts centre and two hotels are the latest venues to be turned into Nightingale courts to help ease pressure on the justice system, the Ministry of Justice has announced today. The Lowry Theatre in Salford, Jury’s Inn Middlesbrough and the Hilton Hotel in York will begin hearing non-custodial crime cases, as well as civil, family and tribunals work, from next week. Another five venues – in Chester, Liverpool, Bristol, Winchester and Cirencester – will be confirmed in the next few weeks.