National Cross Local Justice Area Protocol – Court – HM Courts and Tribunals Service (April 2020)

Description:
The protocol has been drafted by HM Courts and Tribunals Service and agreed with other criminal justice partners. It outlines how cases will be heard within a single court to avoid unnecessary travel for children, police and other agencies.  This protocol will be significant in the management of court hearings, particularly during the transition to a renewal of near-normal operations following the lockdown restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The protocol has been put together to enable courts and agencies to work with defendants who have outstanding cases in a number of courts in one courthouse only. Trials will still be dealt with in the originating court but other types of hearings can be brought together in one place. Defendants are often taken from one court to another, this can involve the defendant, the police and other agencies travelling long distances. This protocol sets out a practical way of avoiding this. Dealing with defendants in one court will avoid unnecessary travel.

The protocol applies to all cases, involving adult and child defendants; there is also a specific section applying to Youth Offending Services.

Please note that the protocol can only be accessed through the youth justice practitioner portal (this is a restricted area for those working in youth justice).