At the start of the coronavirus pandemic the court, based in Crawley, had to be closed to the public when restrictions were introduced in March. However the coroner has continued to hold documentary inquests, where families had expressed a wish that the case proceed in their absence, at her office in Chichester. As restrictions have now eased, the decision has been made to reopen the court as soon as possible. Key measures have been put in place to protect families, staff and other attendees with most cases now being held in the bigger court room in Crawley to maintain safe social distancing. Families have been told that they may wear a face covering in court, but witnesses will be required to remove theirs when they give evidence. Timings will be staggered to allow for the cleaning and airing of the court. Families and interested persons will now also be offered the opportunity to have a remote hearing, although the coroner will still be sat in the court during the proceedings and the Court will remain open to the public and press. West Sussex senior coroner Penelope Schofield said: “Although documentary hearings have continued to be held throughout the pandemic, we do understand that families wish to have a presence at the hearing and we are pleased that we can now accommodate their wish.” A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers. Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. Stay safe, and best wishes.