New York already uses the night court system

The court in Manchester would be open from 1000 to 2200.

In London the adult court would sit until midnight and the youth court until 2200.

Both would operate six days a week, with the provision of swift punishment on Friday and Saturday nights one major objective.

A spokesperson for the Lord Chancellor's department said all the implications of such pilot schemes were currently being explored.

She said: "The position at the moment is we are working at taking this forward and considering pilot schemes in areas that make sense.

"What I cannot confirm is that the pilots will only take place in London and Manchester."

According to a Lord Chancellor's document quoted in the Times, the government is keen to begin the pilot schemes as soon as possible in order that cost implications can be used to inform the spending review in 2002.

However the same document also highlighted some of the potential limitations.

Curfew

It says the night youth courts could only operate until 2130, owing to the need to arrange transport to the courts for offenders and their parents.

Youths returning from courts at night could breach curfew orders and might reoffend on their way home.

Other obstacles are that prisons and detention centres are unable to take prisoners after about 1930 because staff are off duty.

Defendants who are drunk or under the influence of drugs might not be fit to plead, resulting in adjournments.