'Nightingale Court' gets off to shaky start with delays and missing documents 

Nightingale Courts have been set up to clear the backlog of criminal trials

Ten Nightingale Courts have been established
Ten Nightingale Courts have been established

One of the first Nightingale Courts, opened to help tackle the mammoth backlog of criminal cases, got off to a shaky start, when legal files went missing, hearings had to be adjourned and the judge was forced to explain the lack of a dock to confused jurors.

Ten new emergency Crown Courts have been designated by the Ministry of Justice, in a bid to clear some of the hundreds of trials that were halted at the start of lockdown.

Dubbed ‘Nightingale Courts’ - after the emergency coronavirus hospitals that were set up to deal with the pandemic - it is hoped they will provide more capacity for the legal system which is struggling to maintain social distancing rules in jury trials.

But within minutes of the first one opening in London, the usual frustrating delays, familiar to anyone working in the judicial system, were once again evident.

Prospero House close to London Bridge is sitting as an extension to Southwark Crown Court, where two cases were listed on Monday morning.

But both hearings had to be adjourned due to technical difficulties.

The building houses three courts and requires jurors, barristers, and staff to wear face masks in the waiting areas but not inside the well of the court.

Barristers at Prospero House were dressed in their usual wigs and robes on Monday morning, but Judge Christopher Hehir was forced to explain the strange surroundings to the jurors.

He told them: “We are - all of us - you and me, pioneers today. Although as you know you were summoned to Southwark Crown Court, we are not physically there.   “We are here at Prospero House and you've been summed to do your jury service at one of the so-called 'Nightingale Courts' you may have heard about on the news.  

“These are buildings other than courts which are enabling trials to take place with social distancing. The room we are in is the courtroom which may feel slights unfamiliar to those of you who have been in court rooms. This is rather different.  

“We will be conducting the trial here and things are set out so we can maintain social distancing throughout the trial. One thing that is rather different is that there is no dock.”

The first trial of Ali Hinedy, 20, who is charged with conspiracy to defraud, eventually got going after an hour, when after swearing in the jury, the judge explained the usual layout of the court.

Judge Hehir told jurors: “You see there is no dock and the defendant is a young man called Ali Hinedy. Would you please stand up Mr Hinedy?’"he asked the defendant.  

Wearing a light grey suit and black tie, Mr Hinedy stood up behind a desk next to his lawyers and replied: “Yes, sir”.  

Judge Hehir added: “There are no tannoys in this building so it is sometimes difficult for ushers to find counsel of the defendant so it's everyone's individual responsibility to be here because we can't go looking for you very easily.”  

Also listed for trial at Prospero House was Angelica Zabrodina, 48, charged with eight counts of fraud by false representation involving goods returned to branches of TK Maxx.  

Her case was delayed so staff could hunt for the lost jury bundles which are said to have been 'in quarantine’.

Before the trial began, the judge, Sally Cahill QC, said setting up the Nightingale Courts had not been easy. 

She said: "When someone first told me we were having Nightingale courts I thought it would be dead easy, but the provisions are all very difficult and it has not been an easy task.  

"Across the country I've heard stories of court staff being tired and exhausted because of working so hard. So as president of the council of circuit judges I would like to thank our court staff for all they have done over the last few months. I think our court staff deserve a huge vote of thanks, I hope you'll join me in that."

There are ten Nightingale Courts around the country, including in  Middlesbrough Town Hall, the Cloth Hall in Leeds and Bishop’ Palace at Peterborough Cathedral.

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