The Telegraph newspaper reported Saturday that UK courts will operate for 24 hours to expedite prosecutions of those involved in a number of riots that have ravaged several UK cities. This measure follows urgent meetings between senior ministers and judiciary members aimed at promptly addressing the violence through severe legal ramifications.

In a statement on the riots seen across the UK, Prime Minister Kier Starmer said on August 1, “Let me be clear: the tiny, mindless minority in our society who provoked violent disorder on our streets will be made to face the full force of the law.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice told JURIST on Sunday:

When a sudden and unforeseen surge in criminal activity occurs due to a major incident or series of events, the Additional Courts Protocol can be activated, subject to the agreement and guidance of the independent judiciary. This protocol, established following the 2011 riots, clarifies that the decision to schedule additional courts lies within the judiciary’s purview, as it is their responsibility and function.

Requests for additional court sessions—such as extended hours, overnight sessions, or additional weekend courts—require the express approval of the relevant Chief Officer of Police and Chief Crown Prosecutor. The application of additional courts, extended hours, and 24/7 court operations is exclusive to magistrates’ courts.

Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, overseeing the police operations in Liverpool, condemned the violence in a statement saying:

The behaviour seen today in Liverpool city centre is unacceptable. Families, some with children here to see the Disney Princess cruise ship docked nearby, were forced to flee. Such disorder, violence, and destruction have no place in Merseyside, especially in light of the tragic events in Southport on Monday.

The Telegraph’s report comes after a 17-year-old boy was charged at Liverpool Magistrates Court with the murders of three girls, Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiarl; 10 counts of attempted murder; and possession of a bladed article, following a mass stabbing incident in Southport on July 29.

The opening of 24-hour courts has prompted concerns from the legal community who have raised concerns about current court backlogs, prison overcrowding and the availability of prosecution and defence council in an already overstretched system. At the end of April 2024, The Law Society reported that “there were 68,125 outstanding cases in the Crown Courts and 387,042 in the magistrates’ courts.”