The Reopening of Berwick-upon-Tweed Magistrates' Court

Magistrates' Blog can exclusively confirm that Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Services does intend to reopen Berwick-upon-Tweed Magistrates' Court.

England's most northerly Magistrates' Court has had a perilous existence over the last decade, surviving two attempts at closure owing to the unique geography and circumstances of the area.

The next nearest court to Berwick is Mid and South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court, which sits in Bedlington some 50 miles to the south.

Berwick Magistrates' Court, which is co-located with the local police station, has been closed since Northumbria Police began extensive renovation work on the adjacent property at the start of 2020.

Prior to closure the court sat for general adult crime work one day a week, with staff and judiciary travelling in from elsewhere to run the court. The venue was also used for County Court and Family Court hearings on an ad-hoc basis.

The first coronavirus lockdown came in March 2020 and court services were drastically reduced. There was concern in some quarters that Berwick Magistrates' Court would quietly drift into the ether, shrouded by the miasma of covid-19, never to reopen again.

Skip forward to March 2022 and HMCTS has confirmed that plans are afoot to reopen the court - indeed the court has actually reopened!

A Health and Safety inspection recently took place, which identified a few areas that needed addressing prior to reopening - most notably the need for a designated Fire and Incident Control Officer (FICO) and modifications to display screen equipment.

In its response to a Freedom of Information request, an HMCTS spokesperson told Magistrates' Blog: "Covid-19 measures have prevented Berwick Magistrates' Court operating during the pandemic; as there has been a recent relaxation of these HMCTS was planning to reopen and has subsequently reopened the site on 30th March 2022."

A slight problem exists in the fact that no-one seems aware that Berwick Magistrates' Court has re-opened, but I'm sure that will be addressed shortly.