The Ministry of Justice have announced plans to close 157 magistrates and county courts in England and Wales, at a saving of £36.8m.

In a written statement to the Commons on 23 June, Secretary of State Kenneth Clarke said that Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS) currently operates out of 530 courts, some of which do not fit the needs of modern communities. Their number and location do not reflect recent changes in population, workload or transport and communication links over the years since they were originally opened. Consultation papers have been published setting out proposals to close 103 magistrates courts and 54 county courts and inviting views on how best to provide local justice services in communities across England and Wales. He said: “In reaching decisions on closures I will ensure that we keep courts in the most strategically important locations, communities continue to have access to courts within a reasonable travelling distance, that cases are heard in courts with suitable facilities and that there is an overall reduction in cost.” Closure of the courts covered in the consultation would achieve running cost savings of around £15.3 million per year. These courts also have backlog maintenance of around £21.5 million, costs that can be avoided if the closures go ahead. “I believe that as well as savings to HMCS there will also be savings for other criminal justice agencies by focusing their attendance at a single accessible location within a community.”
 
The Secretary of State added that current arrangements are historical and now need to be reassessed to see if they meet the needs of today’s society. Modern communications and greater transport facilities mean that providing access to justice does not require a courthouse in every town or city. He said that, across the civil and criminal courts, there are great opportunities to harness technology more effectively so people do not necessarily have to physically attend court when they give evidence or access court services. Not all disputes need to be resolved in court. “I will also examine ways of enabling more people to resolve their disputes in a way that leads to faster and more satisfactory solutions. We will continue to develop proposals for introducing alternatives that deliver a better service for less money.”

Courts Minister Jonathan Djanogly said: ‘The Lord Chancellor and I are keen to hear the views of everyone with an interest in local justice arrangements. He will take all views into account before making any decision on which courts ought to be closed and when. As well as consulting on the courts we need today I want to begin a conversation about how the courts service could be modernised to improve the justice system as well as reduce its costs.”
The closing date for consultation responses is 15 September 2010. The full list of courts threatened with closure, together with links to the consultation documents, can be found at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/announcement230610a.htm