I am on the Rota as Custody Duty Solicitor No.1 at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court today, and am very unhappy but feel forced to be at Court in person.

I refused to enter the cells. 

I asked the Serco manager to make available one staff member wearing headphones and listening to music (or whatever they wished to), to sit in the dock of an unused Court room for my consultations with detainees, since they would not allow the detainee to be in the dock on their own.  He bluntly refused.  When I asked why, he said that it was "company policy" not to do so.

I had also asked DJ Sweet to direct Serco to do so, and he said it was not within in his power to.

I reluctantly had to leave it to the other Custody Duty Solicitor and a Bail Duty Solicitor to deal with all four Custody Duty matters.

It is entirely contrary to my nature to be this difficult - I do this job because I like trying to help people, particularly vulnerable people, but the MoJ and HMCTS are completely disregarding the health and safety not only of Duty Solicitors (and everyone they come into contact with), but also of all of their own employees, security staff, and Probation.

Even with few people at Court, it is completely impossible to remain at least 2 metres away from everyone else in the building at all times.  For a start, everyone entering the building walks within centimetres of the security staff.  (Though they did make the concession that I could show them my LCCSA photo i.d. card instead of being searched...) 

There are existing video link facilities at Wandsworth police station, a mere 2.8 miles up the road.  Why are these not used?

Yesterday, I represented a defendant in custody at the Crown Court.  The entire hearing was done via telephone.  Everyone, including the defendant who was in prison, the Judge, Prosecuting Counsel and I had dialled in to the hearing.  It can be done.  

There is an Initial (the cleaning company) van (with their slogan "The Experts in Hygiene" on the side of it) parked in the Court's parking area.  A cleaner has placed yellow and black tape on two out of every three seats in the waiting area outside the Court rooms.  He was also wiping down things, but there is as far as I can see, no sign of deep cleaning being done.  

Those of us who have slots on the Court Duty Rota need practical guidance -  what exactly do we do, or who do we contact, to say that we do not feel that it is safe and therefore are not prepared to appear in Court in person?   Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks