Criminal trials longer than three days to be put on hold in bid to combat coronavirus

Criminal trials due to last longer than three days will be put on hold as part of ongoing efforts to delay the spread of Covid-19.

It comes after barristers demanded a halt to trials in England and Wales to stop the "Russian roulette" with the health of staff, jurors and the public.

Despite this pressure, the government had said courts and tribunals would continue to operate at this stage of the coronavirus outbreak.

But on Tuesday night the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales confirmed that all trials longer than three days set to start before the end of April would now be postponed.

These cases will be kept under review as as will the decision to not halt proceedings that last less than three days, an official statement read.

Lord Burnett said steps are being taken to enable as many hearings as possible to continue with some or all participants attending via video-link, telephone or online.

"We must take every effort to maintain the functioning court system in support of the administration of justice and rule of law," the statement added.

Amanda Pinto QC, chairwoman of the Bar Council, had called on the government to temporarily end jury trials during the Covid-19 outbreak.

"Barristers up and down the country are telling us that jurors are having to drop out of cases because they are self-isolating or, worse, coming to court when they should not, and thereby putting everyone's health at risk," she told the BBC.

"Being in a jury trial should not be a game of Russian roulette with the participants' health."

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