Lord Chancellor speech: Opening of Newcastle CFT Centre
The Lord Chancellor spoke at the virtual opening of the new Newcastle Civil Family and Tribunal Centre on 14 July 2021.
My Lord Chief Justice and honoured guests, it is my great pleasure as Lord Chancellor to be able to join you remotely today for the opening of the Newcastle Civil, Family Courts and Tribunal Centre. I am sorry that more of us cannot be there in person, not least because of my own long association with the North East, where I studied at Durham before being called to the Bar almost thirty years ago. I am sure it will not be long before I am able to make it to Newcastle and have a look around the new Centre myself.
What is clear from everything we have heard so far is that the creation of a Centre fit for purpose to replace the ageing buildings at Newcastle has been a gargantuan effort all round – from the planning phase way back in 2015 right through to the phased integration of the courts at the beginning of last year.
I want to thank Mark Swales and everyone at HMCTS who had a hand in this and the reform project more widely; as well as Newcastle City Council for the part they played; and the various boards, groups, and teams locally who have made sure that the new Centre is truly able to serve the multi-jurisdictional needs of the local community.
The site has consolidated the civil, family and tribunal jurisdictions, ensuring we deliver on assurances that hearings would return to the City Centre (where they rightly belong) as well as combining buildings and reducing the HMCTS footprint. In addition, older not fit for purpose sites have been eliminated and replaced with a modern, accessible court for judges, staff and users.
The COVID-19 pandemic has, of course, prevented the Centre from getting up and running in the way that was planned and to the original timescale. However, this was entirely appropriate while the court and tribunal system got to grips with keeping staff, legal professionals and the public safe from harm.
Social distancing was a necessary part of that, and the building at Newcastle has no doubt lent itself to compliance with government guidelines. But new technology has also played a huge role, allowing the courts and tribunals to take many hearings online. I know that all 25 courtrooms at the Centre use video and telephone technology on a daily basis for fully virtual remote and indeed hybrid hearings.
In many respects, it will make eminent sense for us to embrace these new and different ways of doing things as we now begin to recover from the pandemic. They have very much become the norm in most sectors of the economy and our early analysis of the impact of technology on the courts and tribunals is that it can make the delivery of justice more straightforward for all those who work in and indeed use the system.
We at the Ministry of Justice will of course keep this under careful review, but it’s worth remembering that the success of our justice system over centuries has been its ability to evolve to meet the needs of the people. I think it makes sense – particularly when there is a larger accumulation of cases waiting to be heard than usual – for all of us to keep an open mind about innovation and change as we make the transition back to normality.
I always take the opportunity to pay tribute to the judiciary and HMCTS staff for the work that they do to maintain the rule of law and guarantee that our country is one of the fairest in the world. But let me take a moment just to recognise the 133 staff working across the jurisdictions at Newcastle – for their contribution to getting the Centre up and running, their day to day work in delivering justice, and everything they have done throughout the pandemic.
It is, of course, vitally important that every part of the system fires on all cylinders as we continue in the recovery from COVID-19 and I know that Newcastle is already benefitting greatly from the facilities and range of services available at the Centre. This will no doubt be having a huge impact on the lives of local citizens as it continues to keep them safe from harm, as well as lending confidence to the local economy as it builds back better after the pandemic.
All that remains is for me to say is to wish the Centre, its staff and judges, all the very best for the future as it continues to deliver justice for the people of Newcastle and the surrounding areas for many years to come. Thank you.