Sheffield Crown Court: “Still open for business.”

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, has praised staff for their hard work in adapting to the "extraordinary" situation we now find ourselves in.

"We're not letting the grass grow under our feet," he told the Star. "There is an awful lot going on behind the scenes.

"We are devising a system to deal with this but it has to be flexible as it is an ever-changing situation."

Jury trials have been suspended, but the courts are still dealing with cases where the defendants are in custody.

A new system, in which barristers contribute by Skype and defendants appear via video-link from prison, has been working well since its introduction last week.

"My IT skills have increased markedly," the judge added. "In the last ten days I have learnt more than I knew in the last ten years - because I had to."

The wearing of official robes has stopped for the moment, he said, but this hasn't undermined the court's authority, and "respect is still shown."

Judges rotate between sitting to hear cases and "filleting" the court lists to prioritise the most urgent.

However, hearings where the defendants are on bail pose a problem as they involve "the simultaneous attendance of quite a lot of people".

"It's more complicated because we have to maintain social distancing," Judge Richardson said. "It's a difficulty that we're gradually solving. It does take an enormous amount of effort."

Family and civil courts have switched to remote hearings, but criminal cases are more complex to arrange.

The judge warned there will inevitably be a backlog and says "people will have to bear with us."

But he added that the court will be ready to tailor its operations when restrictions are lifted in the future.

"The staff have been magnificent," he said. "Each of them has done their duty and they have kept the show on the road.

"We are open for business, but we're not doing as much business as we once did. We will catch up as soon as we reasonably can."

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