Covid testing to be introduced as part of court safety measures
Lateral flow testing will begin at Manchester Civil Justice Centre in the latest government drive to keep courts safe. It is to be hoped that further protective measures will be introduced through face-to-face court sittings.
The move to protect court users and professionals comes as part of wider efforts to improve court safety.
Face coverings must also be worn to court in public and communal areas, but there is concern in often cramped and older court buildings social distance and circulation of air cannot adequately take place.
The Law Gazette report that the introduction of lateral flow Covid testing at this location is a “pilot” scheme.
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/hmcts-to-pilot-lateral-flow-testing-in-manchester-next-week/5107145.article
A recent bar council study found the vast majority of barristers felt ‘unsafe in court, with 84% citing safety concerns around the cleanliness and ventilation provided in courts’. You can read more on the Bar Council study in this Law Gazette article.