Bristol Civil & Family Justice Centre
Wearing of face covering in court buildings:
We’re now asking that all court and tribunal users wear a face covering effective from Monday 27 July 2020. This will also include all HMCTS staff members being required to wear a face covering in the public areas. If you need one, they will be made available to you, though we request that you bring your own. You do not need to wear a face covering if you have a practical reason not to. For example:
- you have disability or health issue that makes it difficult
- wearing one will cause you severe distress
- a deaf person needs to read your lips
- you are eating, drinking or taking medicine.
Children under the age of 11 do not need to wear a face covering.
You may be asked to temporarily remove your face covering for identification purposes. The judge or magistrate may also ask that face coverings are temporarily removed. If you need to communicate with someone who relies on lip reading, facial expressions and clear sound, they may ask you to take your face covering off.
24/7/20