Coronavirus (COVID-19) – IMPACT ON YOUR CASE
Given the prevailing situation with Covid-19, all Courts are transitioning to deal with the impact upon your cases to be heard before the Magistrate’s and Crown Courts. The Courts are moving to deal with priority cases only. These include custody matters, applications for Domestic Violence Protection Orders, applications for search warrants and arrest warrants. All non-urgent Magistrates’ Court matters are to be adjourned for a set period and a new date will be fixed.
For the foreseeable future, no Trial with a Jury will commence. Hearings at the Crown Court are expected to be limited to priority matters such as applications for the extension of Custody Time Limits and those in custody etc. At present (08.00 on the 24th March 2020) the position is unclear as to what will happen with Plea and Trial Preparation Hearings, further Case Management Hearings and matters where our clients are awaiting sentence etc. We await further guidance. Those clients that have Trials listed in the foreseeable future will be given a new Trial date in due course.
We understand all Prisons have been placed on “lockdown” and where possible legal visits will be undertaken via video link.
The Police will of course continue to make arrests and we can represent you in interview in any police station in England & Wales. Where possible, Voluntary Interviews can be postponed should the Officer in Charge be in agreement.
This is an ever-evolving situation. As and when we have further updates, we will post those on our Website.
We have already implemented a number of measures:
- All staff will be working remotely, where possible;
- So long as we are permitted by the Lord Chief Justice and Ministry of Justice, we will continue to represent clients new and old at the Police Station, Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court;
- We will be able to progress matters for existing clients and new clients via telephone conference and video calls;
- The 24/7 Office landline (0121 233 2842) will be operating as normal and emails are monitored regularly throughout the day.
Where possible we aim to operate a “business as usual” approach and intend to ensure all our clients’ cases are progressed as normal. We appreciate this may be of concern to you in the current situation but rest assured, we will deal with your matter as diligently as ever.
In the meantime, if you have any queries do not hesitate to contact the Solicitor/Case Worker with conduct of your matter. At this time, we ask you to keep contact via email where possible. If we do not already have your current email address or up to date telephone number, please kindly provide this to us to ensure effective and timely communication.
We thank you for your patience and co-operation during this unprecedented situation.
In the meantime, please heed the advice, practice and social distancing, stay indoors and look after each other.
With best wishes,
Bailey Garcha Solicitors
24th March 2020