This follows Ministry of Justice action to consolidate courts and tribunals into fewer buildings to make best use of resources and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The interactive heat map will be updated as more data becomes available.
Simon Davis, President of the Law Society said: ‘This tool illustrates which courts and tribunals buildings continue to be operational.
‘Where appropriate steps are taken to ensure good hygiene, appropriate distancing, and compliance with all other relevant guidance to minimise risk, they should be safe to attend.’
There are 160 court buildings open to the public for essential face-to-face hearings. A further 116 staffed courts are open to justice system employees and judges but not to the public, with parties involved in hearings accessing proceedings remotely via video or telephone. 75 courts have been closed temporarily.
Davis said: ‘The question will inevitably arise to what extent we can, or even should, return wholesale to previous ways of working once this crisis subsides.
‘The reality is that such a profound shift will likely alter permanently how we uphold justice and the rule of law. Therefore we must monitor carefully which of the technological solutions are sustainable for the long-term, to ensure that increases in efficiencies do not inadvertently come at the expense of justice being not only done but seen to be done.
‘Courts must be able to re-open once this crisis abates. We must be wary to avoid any risk of significant and permanent damage to the public’s ability to access to justice.’
In addition to the heat map, practitioners can look at HM Courts and Tribunals tracker list for the latest information on which courts are open, staffed and suspended. Find it at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/courts-and-tribunals-tracker-list-during-coronavirus-outbreak.
For contact details and information about courts and tribunals in your area, go to: https://www.gov.uk/find-court-tribunal.
For advice and guidance for court and tribunal users during the pandemic, visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-courts-and-tribunals-planning-and-preparation.
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