Longer hours are currently being trialled at seven Crown courts, with 9am-1pm and 2pm-6pm shifts, while some magistrates’ courts are sitting on Saturdays. However, HM Courts and Tribunals has plans to expand Saturday courts and introduce weekday evening 5pm-8pm sessions.
A Women in Criminal Law (WICL) survey to gauge practitioners’ views received 480 responses, 72% of whom were women, and more than 200 respondents’ barristers of seven years’ call or more (https://bit.ly/3kYUpI7).
An overwhelming 88% opposed EOH outright, with 4% in favour and 8% neutral. Reasons given included the impact on childcare or other caring arrangements (41%), impact on mental or physical health (13%) and impact on work-life balance (43%).
Some 192 respondents were primary caregivers, who would find it difficult or impossible to attend EOH courts. The WICL report concludes ‘the vast majority of criminal practitioners have no more hours left to give’.
