Below is a message Liverpool Law Society has received from the Cluster Managers for Cheshire & Merseyside Courts FAO Cheshire-Merseyside CJS, Family and Civil court user colleagues
Over the weekend, we moved quickly to confirm our position in light of the Prime Minister’s announcement that national restrictions would be introduced for the whole of England later this week.
You will no doubt already be aware that, as an essential public service, our courts and tribunals will remain open and continue to run throughout the coming period. We will continue to follow and implement public health advice to reduce risk, and keep court and tribunal users updated on what this means for them through ongoing publication of our weekly operational update.
The judiciary fully support this approach, and the Lord Chief Justice and Senior President of Tribunals have published a message reflecting this.
I wanted to pause here to thank you and your colleagues for all that you have done – and continue to do – to support us in our work to keep the justice system going. We don’t underestimate the challenge that the current circumstances present, nor the importance of working in partnership to overcome those challenges. I am immensely grateful to you.
If agreed by Parliament, the month-long national restrictions will apply across England from 00:01am on Thursday morning until 2 December (replacing all tiered restrictions) and will sit alongside restrictions already announced for Wales and Scotland.
Court and tribunal users – including legal professionals, the parties, jurors, witnesses, judges, magistrates and court staff – are vital to the continued running of the courts and tribunals in this proposed period of renewed significant restrictions. Hearings will continue, making use of remote technology where judges feel this is appropriate, but you should not come to any of our court and tribunal buildings if you have coronavirus symptoms, if you have tested positive for COVID-19 or if you must self-isolate. Court and tribunal users should contact the relevant site before they are due to attend so that suitable arrangements can be made for their hearing.
It is essential that all court and tribunal users, including our staff, follow the hands-space-face guidance without fail and remind each other of its importance at every turn. I’d be very grateful if you could continue to ask your teams, members and colleagues to do the same.
You may already have seen the following announcement about regular testing within Liverpool:
You are very welcome to share any of the information within this email as you wish.
Many thanks, as always. for your ongoing support.
Regards
Jayne Jones
Cluster Manager – Cheshire Merseyside Crime
Andrew Jones
Cluster Manager Cheshire Merseyside Civil and Family
Tuesday, 3 November 2020