Coronavirus: Covid-19 courthouse closures create huge backlog

Back of a lawyer's head
By Cormac Campbell
BBC News NI South East Reporter

Despite many aspects of life returning to normal with the easing of lockdown restrictions, the majority of courthouses remain closed.

This has led to a significant backlog of cases.

The BBC understands that there are about 4,000 new criminal cases which need to be issued by the Public Prosecution Service to defendants across Northern Ireland.

Concerns have been raised that this will cause significant delays.

Banbridge solicitor Ruairi Gillen said: "Currently any courts that are being done are being done by Sightlink which is a video or Zoom type alternative but that's only for urgent cases,"

"Anything non-standard or things that would normally be dealt with with a number of witnesses are just on hold until the court buildings reopen.

Within the past fortnight the PPS has been working to reduce the number of outstanding summonses from 4,500 to about 4,000. But this still leaves a large number of people awaiting court dates.

Mr Gillen added: "Those would be new summonses, that cannot be issued until a date can be put on the actual summons for when that person needs to attend an actual courthouse."

Ruairi Gillen is a Banbridge based solicitor

"We would get a lot of calls from clients, and I know other solicitors are no different, who are asking 'when is my case going to be dealt with?"

"What we are now being faced with is, 'why is the court not open when I can go to a bar or restaurant or get my hair cut or go to a shop of my choosing?'"

'Overarching plan'

In a statement a PPS spokesperson said: "The PPS has been working closely with other criminal justice stakeholders on an overarching plan for recovering the system and managing the inevitable backlogs that have accumulated.

"All contingency and recovery planning has carefully balanced our responsibility to protect staff with our duty to deliver essential services on behalf of society."

It isn't just those accused of crimes who want to know when court business will resume.

Geraldine Hanna, the chief executive of Victim Support NI, says the ongoing closure of courthouses is putting added strain on victims and witnesses.

"At the time, in March, when there were court closures, victims of crime were very supportive and understanding of the need to close and for the most part they understand the issues that must be addressed for the health and safety of everyone involved before courts can recommence," she said.

Victim Support NI

Geraldine Hanna says court delays are placing a strain on victims

"But it must be recognised that these delays have placed more pressure on a system that was already facing on average a 500-day wait before a case would reach court, so this is having a further devastating impact on victims who are left waiting for their trial to begin."

Work is ongoing to get more courthouses open.

The Northern Ireland Courts & Tribunal Service has said that this week risk assessments were conducted in Newtownards and Craigavon. It's hoped further assessments in Newry, Antrim, Coleraine, Downpatrick and Omagh courthouses will be completed by the middle of July.

This could see the reopening of these courthouses - but only for the administrative work of court staff.

The jury is still out on when normal service can be resumed.

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