Public Access To Courts - COVID19

The request was partially successful.

Dear HM Courts and Tribunals Service,

During the COVID-19 pandemic HMCTS denied public access to the courts.

1 - Can HMCTS confirm if it is still denying public access to the courts?
2 - During the pandemic, and if public is still being denied by the courts, can you please provide the Risk Assessment which led to, or continues to deny the public the right to the courts, including people wishing to attend in the public gallery.

Further, specifically I require your evidence showing and including where appropriate quantified risks as follows:
3 - the evidence you relied upon that the claimed virus existed or exists, and
4 - the evidence you relied upon that the claimed virus caused or causes unique harm, and
5 - the evidence you relied upon that the claimed virus was or is transmissible between a symptomatic (harmed) person to a healthy person, and
6 - the evidence you relied upon that the claimed virus was or is transmissible between a non-symptomatic person to a healthy person, and
7 - the evidence you relied upon to determine a person was or is a risk of transmitting the claimed virus.

Yours faithfully,

Marc Horn

CentralOperationsHQ, HM Courts and Tribunals Service

2 Attachments

Dear Marc Horn,

 

Please see attached letter acknowledgement in relation to your recent FOIA
request.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

L Brooks

 

Central Support Unit

 

[1]HM Courts & Tribunals Service logo

 

[2]Here is how HMCTS uses personal data about you

 

 

 

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References

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CentralOperationsHQ, HM Courts and Tribunals Service

2 Attachments

Dear Marc,

 

Please find attached a clarification letter in relation to your recent
FOIA request.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

L Brooks

 

Central Support Unit

 

[1]HM Courts & Tribunals Service logo

 

[2]Here is how HMCTS uses personal data about you

 

 

 

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments is intended only for the attention of the
addressee(s). Its unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy all
copies and inform the sender by return e-mail. Internet e-mail is not a
secure medium. Any reply to this message could be intercepted and read by
someone else. Please bear that in mind when deciding whether to send
material in response to this message by e-mail. This e-mail (whether you
are the sender or the recipient) may be monitored, recorded and retained
by the Ministry of Justice. Monitoring / blocking software may be used,
and e-mail content may be read at any time. You have a responsibility to
ensure laws are not broken when composing or forwarding e-mails and their
contents.

References

Visible links
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati...

Dear Central Operations HQ,

Further to your request for clarification it is regarding all access to Courts, both entry into the building as well as public access to hearings,

Yours sincerely,

Marc Horn

Dear HM Courts and Tribunals Service,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of HM Courts and Tribunals Service's handling of my FOI request 'Public Access To Courts - COVID19'.

In regards to the following part of your response:
"Please note, Q3-Q7 is not recorded information held by the MoJ. This is because the
information is held by another government department. Outside of the scope of the Act and
to assist, you can find this information online on either the Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) or the Public Health England (PHE) website. "

HMCTS is a separate legal body, and as such must apply its mind to all of its actions. This is clear from determinations from the appeal court and arises from every persons duty of care to not knowingly causing harm to another. Accordingly I am surprised by this response. Either please confirm HMCTS are knowingly in breach of their H&S and Risk Assessment obligations and that this information truly does not exists, or that it is an oversight and HMCTS does infact comply with its legal obligations to its staff and the users of the Courts.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

Yours faithfully,

Marc Horn

CentralOperationsHQ, HM Courts and Tribunals Service

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Horn,

 

Please take this email as acknowledgement of receipt for your request for
an internal review into the clarification letter sent to you on 5 August
2022.

 

Please note, a clarification letter is not a formal response to your
Freedom Of Information Act request and your original request remains open.

 

I intend to respond to your clarified request in full by 5 September.
Which is 20 working days after receipt of your clarification received on 5
August.

 

As such, we will not be processing your request for an Internal Review
until the full FOI response has been issued.

 

Upon receipt of the full response, if you remain unsatisfied, you are
welcome to re-submit your request for an internal review and I will ensure
this is processed by another Knowledge Information Liaison Officer in line
with the FOI appeal process.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

L Brooks

 

[1]HM Courts & Tribunals Service logo

 

[2]Here is how HMCTS uses personal data about you

 

 

 

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments is intended only for the attention of the
addressee(s). Its unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy all
copies and inform the sender by return e-mail. Internet e-mail is not a
secure medium. Any reply to this message could be intercepted and read by
someone else. Please bear that in mind when deciding whether to send
material in response to this message by e-mail. This e-mail (whether you
are the sender or the recipient) may be monitored, recorded and retained
by the Ministry of Justice. Monitoring / blocking software may be used,
and e-mail content may be read at any time. You have a responsibility to
ensure laws are not broken when composing or forwarding e-mails and their
contents.

References

Visible links
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati...

CentralOperationsHQ, HM Courts and Tribunals Service

2 Attachments

Dear Marc Horn

 

Please find attached a response in relation to your recent Freedom Of
Information Act request. Reference 220729001.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

L Brooks

 

[1]HM Courts & Tribunals Service logo

 

[2]Here is how HMCTS uses personal data about you

 

 

 

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments is intended only for the attention of the
addressee(s). Its unauthorised use, disclosure, storage or copying is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy all
copies and inform the sender by return e-mail. Internet e-mail is not a
secure medium. Any reply to this message could be intercepted and read by
someone else. Please bear that in mind when deciding whether to send
material in response to this message by e-mail. This e-mail (whether you
are the sender or the recipient) may be monitored, recorded and retained
by the Ministry of Justice. Monitoring / blocking software may be used,
and e-mail content may be read at any time. You have a responsibility to
ensure laws are not broken when composing or forwarding e-mails and their
contents.

References

Visible links
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati...