GT Stewart, a criminal law firm, has written to the chief executive of HM Courts and Tribunals Services to complain about incidents involving their solicitors. They allege that at two different magistrates' courts, defendants were placed into cells in the courthouse, despite displaying coronavirus symptoms. The judges responsible in the respective cases denied requests by the defence solicitors that they should be allowed to meet with their clients in the courtroom for privileged conversations rather than in the much smaller prison cells, so as to mitigate the risk of transmission of the virus. The solicitors were told that if they were not prepared to attend their clients in the prison cells, they should withdraw from the cases in question. In one instance, the judge purported to give the case to another duty solicitor. GT Stewart has urged the HM Courts and Tribunals Services to carry out an investigation and have greater regard to the safety of solicitors. 

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