PLANS are in hand to reopen Bradford Crown Court to the public after the Ministry of Justice announced that 16 more court and tribunal buildings across England and Wales are now holding face-to-face hearings.

More than 150 court centres have remained open throughout the pandemic, with a further nine reopening in the last few weeks, but Bradford Combined Court Centre and Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court remain closed to the public.

Now the Telegraph & Argus understands that meetings are being held with a view to re-opening the crown court possibly as early as next week.

Custody remand hearings due to be heard by the city’s magistrates are currently being sent to West Yorkshire Magistrates’ Court sitting at Leeds.

Bradford Crown Court continues to hear plea and trial preparation hearings and to sentence defendants using the Cloud Video Platform technology. The judges and court clerks are in the courtroom and everyone else appears on screens.

The Bradford courts will have to pass safety checks before they are reopened to members of the public.

The Ministry of Justice has announced that each building will be individually assessed to hold socially distanced hearings and will strictly follow public health guidance to ensure the protection and safety of all court users.

The Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland, said: “Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, court staff and the judiciary have worked tirelessly to make sure justice has not stood still and I’m pleased that we are now in a position to reopen more of our buildings.

“A functioning justice system is one of the hallmarks of a healthy democracy and today’s update will give confidence to people up and down the country that justice can continue to be done in a way that is safe for all court users.”

The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Burnett of Maldon, said: “This is a very welcome step towards reopening all our court buildings. A remarkable volume of work has continued throughout the lockdown, much of it being conducted by judges from home.

“Reopening all of the court estate, using additional accommodation and continuing to use technology imaginatively will enable us to return to and surpass pre-lockdown volumes, helping manage the growing caseload.”

A network of priority courts, including Leeds Magistrates’ Court, has remained open.

There are now 184 court and tribunal buildings open for essential face-to-face hearings, representing 54% of the 341 crown, magistrates, county and family courts and tribunals across England and Wales.

Work has also begun to identify suitable venues to house so-called ‘Nightingale’ courts. These would use public spaces, such as civic centres or university moot courts, to allow traditional court buildings to manage more work while maintaining social distancing.

A working group has been established to develop these plans, made up of HMCTS officials, the judiciary, legal professional bodies, representatives of victims’ groups and other court users.