THE landmark first jury trial at any North-East court in recent months has been heard with new adapted social distancing measures in place.

Durham Crown Court has staged its first trial since the last jury was discharged mid-way through a case due to the fear of the spread of coronavirus, on March 23.

But, with a national backlog in crown court cases building up, at 41,500-plus and counting last week, pressure is mounting on HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to clear some of the outstanding case load.

The first test trials using improvised arrangements at four court sentences nationally, in late May, have been followed by a slow roll out to more locations last month, following rigorous health and safety checks.

Sittings were suspended at Durham from March 31, with two court rooms at Newcastle Crown Court used for Durham cases for the following 12 weeks.

But from mid-June, the 208-year-old court building, in Old Elvet, came back into use, initially for video link cases only, then for limited hearings involving “off bail” defendants in attendance.

The court was given the all-clear by HMCTS to resume jury trials from this week.

Arrangements which have been put in place were outlined to the first jurors selected to hear a trial at Durham for 112 days, on Monday.

Judge James Adkin told the panel: “It’s a really significant milestone for us to be able to restart doing jury trials and a really important feature for society.

“It’s been an unusual four months for anyone involved in the legal profession.

“There have not been any jury trials and I think Durham is the first of the courts in the North-East to restart hearing trials.

“It’s vital that defendants are tried by their peers.”

Jurors sat well apart in the Court One public gallery and waiting jury area, with Court Two used as their retiring room, with the usual jury box used bt the press.

A report on the case will appear in tomorrow’s edition of The Northern Echo.