Courts lift Omicron COVID restrictions

Scottish courts will ease some COVID-19 restrictions from next week, following the wider relaxations recently announced by the First Minister.

From Monday 31 January, the physical distancing requirement in SCTS buildings will return from two metres back to one metre. Hygiene and ventilation measures will remain in place, and court users are requested still to take a lateral flow test before coming to court. The legal requirement for face coverings to be worn remains in place.

This effectively returns to the position before the Omicron variant, and enables substantive Court of Session Inner House and Criminal Appeal Court cases to be heard in-person by default. All other civil business in the Court of Session and sheriff court will continue to be conducted virtually, unless the courts allow an in-person hearing on cause shown. For criminal business the guidance enables summary criminal trial loadings to be increased and the re-starting of justice of the peace trials.

Looking further ahead, SCTS states that if the positive progress on COVID continues, it intends removing physical distancing restrictions and reopening its doors to the public around late February or early March, and will consider over the coming weeks how to manage this change.