Announcement by Judiciary
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The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
The Judiciary announced today (April 22) that the General Adjourned Period (GAP), which started on January 29, will end on May 3. From May 4, all court proceedings will generally resume as safely as circumstances permit. In the same way, court and tribunal registries will also start to re-open by stages from May 6, the first stage including the registries of the Court of Final Appeal and the High Court. Having regard to the public health situation and the need for social distancing, court business will initially be conducted under reduced capacity. This will be closely monitored and adjustments made where appropriate.
The Judiciary stresses that public health and safety, including that of court users, the Judiciary's staff and Judges and Judicial Officers (JJOs), continue to be paramount considerations in the handling of court operations by the Judiciary. The Judiciary will however conduct as much court business as practicable, having regard to the prevailing public health situation. The extent of court operations will be contingent on a number of factors, including the need to adopt measures to facilitate social distancing, e.g. setting limits on the number of hearings to be held on each court floor on all Judiciary premises, etc.