Peterborough Nightingale Court to be closed

Temporary courts set up during the pandemic in Middlesbrough, Peterborough, Nottingham, Warwick, Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Chester and Winchester are all due to be shut down at the end of the month.

In Peterborough the court was based in the Knights’ Chamber and Visitor Centre at the Bishop’s Palace in the grounds of the Cathedral, and dealt with civil, rather than criminal cases.

It was opened in August 2020, and was expected to be open until February 2021 - however, its closure has only been confirmed this week.

When opened, Dean of Peterborough, the Very Revd Chris Dalliston, said: “We are proud that the Knights’ Chamber is among the first venues to be selected by the Ministry of Justice as a Nightingale Court, and glad that we are able to help support this critically important work. The 13th century building has served many purposes in its time and this will add another layer to its long history. Attending court can be a very anxious time for people and we hope that some of those who come might also find a moment of peace and tranquillity in the Cathedral, whilst they are here.”

Other Nightingale Courts in Maidstone, Chichester, Telford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Leeds, Swansea, Cirencester and Fleetwood will all remain open until March 2023 as part of efforts to reduce the number of outstanding court cases waiting to be dealt with.

In London, court rooms set up in Prospero House, Barbican and Croydon will also stay open. But others in Petty France and Monument will close at the end of March and early April respectively.

Negotiations to find two more court rooms in London are ongoing.

Justice minister James Cartlidge said: “Nightingale courts continue to be a valuable weapon in the fight against the pandemic’s unprecedented impact on our courts, providing temporary extra capacity.

“Combined with other measures – such as removing the cap on crown court sitting days, more use of remote hearings, and increasing magistrate sentencing powers – we are beginning to see the backlog drop so victims can get the speedier justice they deserve.