At the present time the Courts are unable to conduct jury trials. Efforts are underway to the increase the capacity of the work in the courts. But on any view it is going to be some time before jury trials begin again. In the meantime practitioners should pay close attention to the merits of cases that are pending trial, identifying those cases in which compromise would be appropriate. Any case that is capable of resolution will be capable of being concluded.
During the pandemic a number of Guidelines and Practice Directions have been issued.
On this page we set those out together with other relevant documents including support material provided by the Northern Circuit Coronavirus Task Force.
CIRCUIT GUIDANCE NOTES
Carlisle
Carlisle Local Practice Direction 1/2021
Carlisle Crown Court listing (18.06.20)
Chester
Chester Crown Court Guidance (effective 17.05.21)
Updated guidance from Chester Crown Court (18.01.21)
Chester Crown Court Guidance (05.10.20)
Chester Crown Court Guidance (20.07.20)
Chester Crown Court Guidance 15th June 2020 (Court opening guidance)
Chester Crown Court Guidance (11.05.20)
Chester Crown Court - DCS Guidance
Message from HHJ Everett, Honorary Recorder of Chester
Lancashire
LPD 5/2021 Hearing Lancashire Trials in Carlisle
LPD 2/2021 Trial Readiness Hearings ( 08.03.2021 )
LPD 1/2021 - Attendance of Advocates at Court (08.01.2021)
Local Practice Direction 3/2020 - "Bank" cases & Attendance of advocates at Court (12.11.20)
Preston Crown Court: The Professional Access Scheme ("fast track entry") (17.07.20)
The Virtual Court & Trial Assessment and Resolution Hearings (03.07.20) (LPD 1/2020)
Lancashire Crown Courts No2 on Listing Arrangements (23.06.20)
Preston Crown Court - Directions in Appeals against Sentence
Lancashire Crown Courts - Sentencing of Defendants who are on bail (effective 11.05.20)
Lancashire Crown Courts - Guidance Note on Listing Arrangements (effective 11.05.20)
Lancashire Listing Arrangements
Message from HHJ Brown, Honorary Recorder of Preston
VCC Preston - Going Live from 09.01.23
VCC - how they work
Liverpool
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note #11 - Case Resolution Process (22.11.21)
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note - Committals for Sentence and Ordering of PSR (27.08.21)
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note - Section 28 Hearings (August 2021)
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note #10 v.2
QEII Home Testing Pilot (04.03.21)
Masks in Liverpool Crown Court (15.01.21)
Liverpool Crown Court -Guidance Note #8 - FCMH - trial review hearing
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note #7 - operating hours and temporary am-pm model
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note #6 - General Update for Practitioners
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note #5 - Attendance at court of defendants
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note #4 - Resuming Appeals (29.05.20)
Liverpool Crown Court - Guidance Note - section 28 hearings (effective 11.05.20)
Liverpool Crown Court- Guidance Note (v4 22.04.20)
Liverpool Guidance Note on Remote Hearings (V.3 15.04.20)
Liverpool Guidance Note on extension of time apps
Liverpool Guidance Note on Remote Hearings
Liverpool Guidance Note - HHJ Menary QC, Honorary Recorder of Liverpool
Liverpool Guidance Note - HHJ Menary KC, Honorary Recorder of Liverpool #2/2023
Liverpool Guidance Note - HHJ Menary KC, Honorary Recorder of Liverpool #3/2023
Manchester
Crown Square Robing Rooms (18.03.21)
Crown Square Report (09.03.21)
Manchester Minshull Street & Bolton - conference/ overspill rooms (18.01.21)
DCS & Covid Protocol - Manchester Minshull Street - January 2021
DCS & COVID Protocol - Manchester Crown Square November 2020
Manchester & Bolton Crown Courts - Note effective 20th July 2020
Crown Square - Timetable for Preparation for Socially Distanced Trials (02.07.20)
Crown Square PTR Questionnaire (16.06.20)
Manchester Courts Guidance Note: Defendants on Bail (23.06.20)
Manchester & Bolton Crown Courts - Guidance Note - Defendants on Bail (01.05.20)
OTHER MATERIAL
National Material
Form 5009 - CVP (effective 01.02.21)
Letter from the Vice President re appearances before the CACD (12.01.20)
Lucima -v- Central Criminal Court and DPP -v- Woolwich (26.11.20)
Withdrawal of CTL Protocol (02.09.20)
CTL refusal. - HHJ Raynor - Woolwich Crown Court
Face coverings in courts & tribunals (23.07.20)
Courts & Tribunals Recovery (01.07.20)
Resumption of Jury Trials - Joint statement by Circuit Leaders (12.05.20)
Interim guidance on listing as trials resume (President QBD 12.05.20)
R v Manning (Lord Chief Justice: Relevance of COVID19 : Suspended sentence)
Revised Protocol for CTL Cases
Summary Table - Remote Hearings
Review of Court Arrangements - COVID19 - Lord Chief Justice
Bar Council Criminal Billing Seminar
Presider and Circuit Material
Chester Town Hall Nightingale Report
Resumption of Jury Trials in North Wales (15.06.20)
Letter from the Recorder of Leeds 7th May 2020
BT MeetMe -Presider's Direction - Dove J
Skype for Business -Presider's Direction - Dove J
Northern Circuit - Practitioner's Guide - Skype for Business
Manually granting Skype for Business access to Mac microphone
Jury Trials Working Group & Announcements
Updated list of courts resuming jury trials (20.11.20)
More Courts listed to resume jury trials (31.07.20)
Latest courts to resume jury trials (24.07.20)
Further update - 6 more courts to resume jury trials (17.07.20)
Six more courts to resume jury trials (13.07.20)
16 more courts to resume jury trials (03.07.20)
More courts set to resume jury trials (19.06.20)
Additional courts set to resume Jury Trials (12.06.20)
More face-to-face hearings as courts reopen (08.06.20)
Message from Mr Justice Edis 22.05.20
