I've just been on @BBCNews talking about the 10 Nightingale courts announced today. I don't know how to post a video or it, but here's a screenshot.

And here are some fun facts about the Nightingale Courts: The Ministry of Justice were not able to tell me how much they cost. The first, at council building Palliant House in Chichester, will open on Monday to hear family cases. Chichester Combined Court was closed in 2018.

Two of the Nightingale venues -- Telford County Court and Fleetwood Magistrates Court -- were closed in the last three years.

Three of the venues will hear non-custodial criminal cases. the Ministry of Justice tells me that will include jury trials, but only in cases like fraud and corporate crime, where there are no security concerns.

The Petty France venue in London is the HQ of the Ministry of Justice, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Legal Aid Agency, and will hear family cases.

The Knights' Chamber and Visitor Centre, is a medieval chamber that housed the knights of Peterborough Abbey -- now Peterborough Cathedral, where Catherine of Aragon, and Mary Queen of Scots are buried.

It has been two months since the lord chancellor, Robert Buckland, said he was looking for Nightingale court venues -- and he told MPs on the justice committee that there would need to be at least 200.

Since 2010 the Ministry of Justice has closed 295 courts -- almost a third of all courts in England & Wales, including over half of all magistrates' courts and eight crown courts -- most recently the large and modern facility at Blackfriars Crown Court.

At the end of 2019, there was a backlog of 37,500 crown court cases, due to Ministry of Justice spending cuts, that meant courtrooms were left idle, while the number of cases waiting to be dealt with increased. Since lockdown the backlog has risen to over 41,000.

In 2019 only 12,000 crown court trials were completed. The backlog of crown court trials is now 26,500 -- more than twice the number of trials heard in the whole of last year. This means victims & defendants are left in legal limbo for up to three years before trials take place.

In the magistrates courts, which hears 95% of criminal cases, the backlog of cases is over 500,000.

The lord chancellor, Robert Buckland, said: "Our action to keep the justice system running throughout the pandemic has been globally recognised, with these Nightingale Courts being the latest step in this effort." It is possible that he is living in an alternative reality.

Last week a report from @thebarcouncil said the Ministry of Justice spends 39 per person per day on the justice system -- less than the price of a pint of milk.

Caroline Goodwin QC, chair of the @TheCriminalBar says the 10 Nightingale court are "a start, but just that" and urges the MoJ to open more courts and fund the justice system properly.

Caroline Goodwin QC, @CBA chair: "Time is of the essence . Two months of delay getting theses 10 [Nightingale courts] on stream just piles on the human suffering to get trials on that have been delayed for between 1 & 3 years, impacting tens of thousands of those left waiting."

Caroline Goodwin QC, @TheCriminalBar chair, continues: "The government was quick to cut a court budget by 15% last year & just as quick to sell off a perfectly good & much-needed crown court at Blackfriars. Lets see the same government ... invest" and open up court buildings.

As well as Nightingale courts, the Ministry of Justice tells me other options to tackle the backlog, incl crown court trials heard by a judge & 2 lay magistrates, reduced jury numbers & extending court sitting times during the week & at weekends, are still on the table. [Ends]