On Tuesday MPs were told the results of the consultations about court closures. Public consultations were launched in June and produced 2552 responses. Decisions have been made to close 93 magistrates’ courts and 49 county courts, with ten magistrates’ courts and five county courts on the original list being retained.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Jonathan Djanogly, said that the court estate had not kept pace with the changing nature of society or with the demands modern society places on the justice system. An estate of over 500 court buildings is not now considered necessary, sustainable or a reasonable expense for the taxpayer. He said: “We are closing the worst courts in the estate – so we can concentrate our limited resources on the best ones. We are investing in the court estate with new buildings and with refurbishment of facilities.” He told MPs that the closures will not mean people losing access to local justice, and the provision of a better, more efficient and more modern justice system with good facilities and efficient courts would provide better local justice. He said: “Much has been said by Members about travel times to court. I can reassure the House that our plans will only very slightly reduce the percentage of the population able to access their nearest court by public transport in under an hour, from just under 90% to 85%.”

He estimated that the closures will save £41.5 million during the spending review period, excluding closure costs, and bring in £38.5 million in receipts from the sale of assets. He also announced that £22 million of capital will be reinvested to improve and modernise the courts to which work will be transferred. “The timetable is that the first courts will start to close on 1 April next year, and I can confirm that travel arrangements will be organised on a local basis. It is important to make the point that during these reorganisation proposals, we have been considering not just closures but how we can best reorganise the remaining Courts Service. That includes looking at how people can best get to their local courts.”

Responding to the announcement, shadow justice minister Andrew Slaughter said that courts are an important part of many communities. He added: “Claimants and defendants, witnesses and victims will all be inconvenienced and, in many cases, disconcerted by the loss of the local criminal or civil court, or both, only to find them replaced with anonymous court centres many miles away. Secondly, not everyone has the mobility or resources to travel long distances to find justice, especially in rural or remote areas.” He said: “The Minister said that some capital will be reinvested in specific projects, but there is no allowance for the extra pressures on remaining courts. Is that not proof that this is no more than a crude cost-cutting exercise with none of the benefits that he half-heartedly claims?” He quoted the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Justice Goldring, as noting that poor public transport meant it would be difficult for many people to arrive at court before 10am or return home after 4pm.

The full list of courts to be closed and those to be retained can be found at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease141210a.htm

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