THE ISLE of Wight law courts in Newport will be suspending all new trials in light of a new decision from the Lord Chief Justice.

A letter written by the Lord Chief Justice, Ian Burnett, has declared that all new trials will be put on hold until they can be conducted remotely due to the coronavirus, outbreak,

Lord Burnett said: “I have decided that we need to pause jury trials for a short time to enable appropriate precautions to be put in place.

“As the prime minister has been telling the country, the spread of COVID-19 has continued to accelerate. “The clear message from government is to take all precautions to avoid unnecessary contact.”

Despite the halt to trials, sentencings and other hearings will still be concluding at the Isle of Wight Law Courts.