Wolverhampton hotel opens doors as Nightingale court
A Wolverhampton hotel has opened its doors as a Nightingale court this week as part of plans to tackle a backlog of cases.
Park Hall Hotel & Spa is located a stone’s throw from the city’s Crown Court, and will help to free up space for more jury trials there by providing two additional rooms that will host non-custodial criminal cases such as fines and community service orders.
The venue usually hosts spa retreats and business conferences but has sat empty during the pandemic. The temporary transformation will help reduce delays and deliver speedier justice for victims across the West Midlands, while allowing the hotel to take staff off the furlough scheme.
It is the third Nightingale court to be located in the region after opening on Monday, joining sites at Shire Hall in Stafford and Maple House in Birmingham.
Courts Minister, Lord Wolfson, said: “We are determined to deliver swifter justice for people across the West Midlands and this new Nightingale Court will boost those efforts.
“This is part of our action to tackle the impact of the pandemic on our courts and reduce delays for victims. As a result, outstanding cases in the magistrates' are falling and the number of trials being listed in the Crown Court increases each week.”
Angela Bir, owner of the Park Hall Hotel & Spa said: “We are delighted to be able to offer a Nightingale court facility to HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
Proud
"The Park Hall is amply suited to providing this service as we have considerable versatile event space, which allows a separate space both for the court and the continued provision of hotel accommodation for guests. I am so proud of the team they have embraced such significant change during this pandemic, its testimony to their professional pride and resilience.”
Darren Patt, MD of Countrywide Hotels which operates the Park Hall Hotel & Spa said: “We are especially pleased to be working with the HM Courts and Tribunals Service. This significant project demonstrates that we can work seamlessly together to find innovative solutions to the challenges we are facing during these unprecedented times.”
The move forms part of a £113m investment to alleviate pressures on courts and tribunals, including recruiting 1,600 extra staff, further technology, and on-site safety precautions such as plexiglass screens. This is on top of the £142m being spent to speed up technological improvements and modernise courtrooms.
The impact of these measures is already being seen:
England and Wales is believed to be the first comparable major jurisdiction in the world to resume jury trials, with hundreds now being listed each week
Outstanding cases in the magistrates courts have fallen by around 50,000 since the peak last summer
While the number of disposals continues to be just under pre-Covid levels, the Crown Court continues to see an increase in the number of trials listed
More than 20,000 hearings using remote technology are taking place each week – compared to around 550 in March 2020 – a 4,000 per cent rise.
The decision to keep courts and tribunals open during the pandemic has had a tangible impact on people’s lives. Over 9,000 court orders were issued to protect children from female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and domestic abuse between April and September 2020.
Meanwhile, a major £40m investment announced last month will go towards specialist help for vulnerable victims – funding helplines and the recruitment of more counsellors. This comes as an extra £337m was confirmed in the recent Spending Review to deliver swifter justice and support victims in 2021/22, while £76m will further increase capacity in family courts and tribunals.
