New security measures will require legal professionals wishing to enter the Old Bailey to email the court a pre-attendance notification, it has been revealed.
On City of London Police advice, the court said today that court users, including counsel, clerks, solicitors, noting briefs and others will be required to send an email – a security pre-attendance notification or accreditation – if they wish to enter the Central Criminal Court.
The notification will be valid for the duration of a trial. For hearings, the notification will be valid only for the duration of the hearing.
In addition to the pre-attendance notification or accreditation, which must be sent to the court’s security email address using an official business email, legal professionals must have a form of identification for verification.
The notification will need to include the client or defendant’s name or the name of the defendant they are prosecuting.
The email requirement will begin from 2 January and the security email will be monitored continuously ‘enabling the team to confirm and update the entry list in real-time, reducing delays for legal professionals’ entering the court.
Counsel will continue to have a designated entry lane and will be given priority on arrival to avoid queuing.
