Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response—HMCTS publishes updated operational summary.
With continued social distancing measures in place, HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has updated its daily operational summary on courts and tribunals operations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The 22 April 2020 summary announced that from Friday, 24 April 2020.
All courts and tribunals
Maintained announcements:
• Cloud Video Platform will start to be used in some civil and family hearings, as well as Skype. HMCTS telephone and video hearings during coronavirus outbreak and the guide on how to join a telephone and video hearing.
• For technical support on telephone or video hearings call 0330 8089405
• The High Court Contingency Plan remains the same and the Administrative Court Office and QBD has published a detailed guide covering applications for immediate/urgent consideration, how applications should be filed and the specific requirements for urgent consideration, and how to file applications for non-urgent work, along with five QBD Bulletins.
• The Royal Courts of Justice fees office remains closed.
• Where courts and tribunals are closed, HMCTS will contact parties directly to confirm new hearing arrangements, contacting those parties whose hearings were scheduled to happen first, and work their way through the list as quickly as possible.
• The work of courts and tribunals will be consolidated into fewer buildings, maintaining the safety of all in the courts and in line with public health advice. HMCTS has launched a courts and tribunals tracker list during the coronavirus outbreak that lists open, staffed and suspended courts during the coronavirus outbreak.
• Courts and Tribunals Service Centres will be available from 8am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 4pm on Fridays until further notice.
• HMCTS is continuing to avoid physical hearings and arrange remote hearings wherever possible and is continuing to implement social distancing measures in courts and tribunals where physical attendance is necessary.
Civil courts – Maintained announcements
• The Court of Appeal Civil Division is covering work according to the RCJ Court of Appeal Civil urgent business priorities.
Tribunals – Maintained announcements
• A variety of user help guides have been published: Administrative Appeals Chamber, Employment Tribunals, General Regulatory Chamber, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber, Immigration and Asylum Chamber, Lands Chamber, Property Chamber, Tax and Chancery Chamber (Upper Tier), Tax Chamber First Tier and War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber.
• The Judiciary has published a frequently asked questions document on Employment Tribunals during coronavirus for parties who are representing themselves and professional representatives.
• The Property and General Regulatory Chamber (GRC) operational update remains the same. For the Property Chamber, cases are being stayed and work is continuing on finding suitable ways to progress them, with staff and judiciary working remotely.
For more updates and further information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmcts-daily-operational-summary-on-courts-and-tribunals-during-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak