Maggots 'literally raining down' from rotting seagulls is among the examples of problems with the courts estate cited by solicitors today. Nearly two thirds of respondents to a Law Society survey said they had experienced delays in hearing becaause of the state of court buildings. The report found ‘little improvement’ in the courts infrastructure since the previous survey in 2022.

According to the report, 63% of respondents had experienced adjournments or transfers in venue due to the state of the court. A third of solicitors whose cases had been held remotely as a result considered this inappropriate to the type of case.

The report said: ‘Other impacts noted by solicitors included a “failure to get one hour hearing for more than six months in the family court”…a prisoner with impaired mobility unable to access the cells, a “defendant not produced due to a misunderstanding and trial proceeded in absence”. There were also delays associated with interpreters, including interpreters not being booked, not attending, or being the wrong gender for case.’

The survey, which received 293 responses, found that only 5% of solicitors with a disability considered the physical state of the court to be fit for purpose ‘to a large extent’ which increased to 19% for those without a disability. 

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Although 72% of solicitors indicated that, overall, the physical state of the court was either ‘to some extent’ or ‘to a large extent’ fit for purpose, 17% said they were ‘not at all’ fit for purpose. Reasons for this included a lack of consultation rooms, poor building conditions and maintenance, no heating or air conditioning, staffing and security issues, and a lack of courtrooms and ‘cold, uncomfortable, and overcrowded’ facilities. 

One comment described South Shields magistrates court as a ‘disgrace’ adding that it would not function if not for the ‘excellent court staff’. It added: ‘The court had to close early for two days within the last 12 months or so. This was because dead and rotting seagulls were within the roof insulation. The court had to close because maggots were literally raining down onto the lobby.’ Another comment about Hull Crown court described ‘several sewage leaks’ which led to ‘counsel and solicitors being very ill’.

Of those asked, 20% of solicitors considered the technology in court as being ‘not at all’ fit for purpose. 

The lowest rated courts were Uxbridge magistrates and Manchester magistrates. Grimsby magistrates, IAC Birmingham, Liverpool Crown and Salisbury law courts recieved the highest scores.

The majority (72%) of solicitors felt physically secure while attending court and 68% said they felt physically safe from harm.

Law Society president Richard Atkinson said: ‘The poor state of court buildings across England and Wales is both a contributor to the huge backlog of court cases and an illustration of the woeful lack of investment in our justice system. Government underfunding is denying us, our children and our businesses a vital public service.

‘This could be an easy win for the government, which has rightly recognised the need for capital and sustained investment in the courts but must go further. By targeting investment effectively and applying technology, we can ensure that everyone has access to justice, without unacceptable delays, in courts that are truly fit for purpose.’