Court reopens after crack in wall forced closure

Nottingham Crown Court has reopened after a crack in a wall forced a temporary closure.

The building on Canal Street was evacuated on Wednesday after damage was found at the entrance, and some cases were moved to Nottingham Magistrates' Court.

Last year, a leading barrister warned there had been issues with the building, including leaks in several courtrooms and broken heating, and some users have since called for the court to be knocked down and replaced.

A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesperson confirmed on Monday that the court had fully reopened.

After the crack appeared, a large tarpaulin was placed underneath and temporary barriers put in place.

The MoJ said safety was of "paramount importance" and the building was "closed as a precautionary measure".

One trial went ahead on Thursday, but others were moved, where feasible, to the magistrates' court, and other trials were delayed.

Peter Joyce KC, a long-serving barrister in Nottingham, was evacuated from the court on Wednesday and his case was one of those affected.

He said: "The system is in chaos. The politicians should fund the system properly.

"They should knock this down and build a new one.

"It froze in the winter, it overheated in summer, it leaks throughout when it rains. It's thoroughly embarrassing and pathetic.

"The justice system is going to crash, if it hasn't already."

Barrister and former Broxtowe Conservative MP Anna Soubry, told the BBC the building was "a lost cause; we should demolish the place and start again".

She called on the government to "admit you are flogging a dead horse", and added: "The situation is dire and the building is, in effect, unusable.

"It's been barely fit for purpose for a very long time.

"The sooner we get out of it and pull it down, the better. Millions are being thrown at it but it isn't fit for purpose."

It was announced last year that Nottingham Crown Court would get a £14m upgrade to help fix "long-standing maintenance issues" and reduce delays.

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