HMCTS weekly operational summary

HMCTS operational summary for week commencing Monday 2821 March 2022

Next week’s update will be issued on Friday 125 AprilMarch 2022.

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• Reminder: The Grand Connaught Rooms in Holborn will replace our Nightingale court at Monument. It will begin operating 2 Crown courtrooms from the end of March.
• Reminder: We’ve worked alongside a research team at Oxford University to design and create a series of audio-visual guides and documentation that will improve the support available to users participating in online hearings.
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• Reminder: Defence solicitors and barristers attending court for a Common Platform hearing should use the professional check-in feature, in both the Crown and magistrates’ courts. Watch our video guide to find out more. If you experience issues, please let the court usher or clerk know and they can assist. Checking in does not remove the need to communicate with court ushers regarding your case.
• Reminder: If you have a Common Platform account, you need to login at least once every 90 days to keep it active. If your account is inactive for 90 days, it will be deregistered for security reasons. You will receive an automatic email notifying you before your account is deregistered: login to the system, and your account will remain live.

Civil

• Reminder:Updated: From Monday 4 April 2022, legal professionals issuing claims for damages that fall under the scope of Practice Direction 51ZB should use the Damages Claim service on MyHMCTS. Legal professionals acting for claimants can find guidance and sign up on GOV.UK. The Civil Procedure Rules will be updated soon to require all damages claims where the defendant is legally represented to be completed online.

Family

• Reminder:Updated: A new divorce law comes into force from Wednesday 6 April 2022. From Thursday 31 March 2022 paper and digital applications under the current law will no longer be accepted. There is a separate arrangement for urgent applications. Applications will be accepted on the new online divorce service from Wednesday 6 April 2022.
• Reminder: Applications for care and supervisions orders for childcare have moved online across all local authorities in England and Wales.
• Reminder: The C100 bulk scanning service at Slough closed on Tuesday 15 March 2022. Please use the online service to make arrangements for children for both urgent and non-urgent applications. If applications are urgent and need to be heard on the same day please continue to call or email your local court.

Tribunals

• Updated: The E-Filing service for litigants in person and professional users of the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) went live on Monday 14 March 2022.

Judicial guidance and announcements

• For the latest practice directions, advice, and guidance please visit the Judicial Office website.

Previous editions

• Week commencing Monday 21 March 2022
• Week commencing Monday 14 March 2022
• Week commencing Monday 7 March 2022
• Week commencing Monday 28 February 2022
• Week commencing Monday 21 February 2022
• Week commencing Monday 14 February 2022
• Week commencing Monday 7 February 2022
• Week commencing Monday 31 January 2022
• Week commencing Monday 24 January 2022
• Week commencing Monday 17 January 2022
• Week commencing Monday 10 January 2022
• Week commencing Monday 3 January 2022
• Week commencing Monday 20 December 2021