Government Are To Close More Than 140 Courtsposted on 14 December 2010 | posted in General Category | ( 0 ) CommentsThe Government is to close 93 magistrates' courts and 49 county courts in England and Wales, justice minister Jonathan Djanogly has said. Debt advisors at Integrity Debt Solutions have warned that 'this will now create a huge backlog of cases in the couty courts regarding insolvency issues, and will cause huge logistical problems for county court users in England and Wales. The decision will not be taken lightly, and we can only see massive problems ahead in the courts'. ' The decision to close Shrewsbury County Court has been under looked and will leave Englands biggest landlocked county with the central hub of Shrewsbury with no county court, creating all sorts of problems'. The decision follows an "unsustainable" situation in which many courts were being left idle for long periods, MPs were told. As part of the controversial proposals, £22 million of capital will be reinvested to improve and modernise the courts which will receive extra work as a result of the closures. But Labour attacked the closure programme, branding it a "wholesale destruction" of the foundations of British justice. Outlining the programme, Mr Djanogly said: "Failures in the last decade to manage the courts estate properly have led to a service which is unsustainable at any time, let alone in the current financial circumstances. "It is unsustainable that in 2009/10 our 330 magistrates' courts sat for less than two thirds of their available time and that courtrooms in our 219 county courts sat on average for only 180 days a year. "It is unacceptable that dozens of buildings, never intended and not fit for the requirements of the modern courts system are still being used. And it is undesirable that in the current financial position that the taxpayer continues to fund buildings that offer outdated and inadequate facilities to victims and indeed to witnesses." Mr Djanogly said the plans would only "very slightly" reduce the percentage of the population able to access their nearest court - although the figure he used was for journeys that would take up to an hour. This would now fall from just under 90% to 85%. He told MPs: "The Government has decided to close 93 magistrates' courts and 49 country courts. "Of these 49 country courts, 10 will however remain open for hearings under the control of other local county courts. We will be retaining 10 magistrates and five country courts on which we consulted." Following consideration of the 2552 responses to the consultation decisions have been made to close 93 magistrates' courts and 49 county courts. Ten magistrates' courts and five county courts are to be retained. The courts to be closed and retained are as follows: North West Magistrates' courts: Northwich Magistrates' Court, Southport Magistrates' Court, Knowsley Magistrates' Court, Whitehaven Magistrates' Court, Penrith Magistrates' Court, Rawtenstall Magistrates' Court, Salford Magistrates' Court, Rochdale Magistrates' Court. County courts: Northwich County Court, Southport County Court, Penrith County Court, Runcorn County Court, Whitehaven County Court, Rawtenstall County Court, Chorley County Court, Salford County Court. Retained: Bury County Court North East Magistrates' courts: Guisborough Magistrates' Court, Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court Tynedale Magistrates' Court, Alnwick Magistrates' Court, Blaydon Magistrates' Court, Gosforth Magistrates' Court, Houghton Le Spring Magistrates' Court, Goole Magistrates' Court, Selby Magistrates' Court, Batley And Dewsbury Magistrates' Court, Keighley Magistrates' Court Sitting At The Bingley Court House, Pontefract Magistrates' Court. County courts: Bishop Auckland County Court, Consett County Court, Goole County Court, Pontefract County Court, Keighley County Court, Dewsbury County Court. Retained: Barnsley County Court, Skipton Magistrates' Court, Skipton County Court. Wales: Magistrates' courts: Barry Magistrates' Court, Aberdare Magistrates' Court, Llwynypia Magistrates' Court, Ammanford Magistrates' Court, Cardigan Magistrates' Court, Llandovery Magistrates' Court, Denbigh Magistrates' Court, Pwllheli Magistrates' Court, Flint Magistrates' Court, Chepstow Magistrates' Court, Abertillery Magistrates' Court, Llangefni Magistrates' Court. County courts: Chepstow County Court, Aberdare County Court, Rhyl County Court, Pontypool County Court. Retained: Abergavenny Magistrates' Court, Llangefni County Court. Midlands Magistrates' courts: Halesowen Magistrates' Court, Sutton Coldfield Magistrates' Court, West Bromwich Magistrates' Court, Rugby Magistrates' Court, Stoke Magistrates' Court, Tamworth Magistrates' Court, Ludlow Magistrates' Court, Market Drayton Magistrates' Court, Oswestry Magistrates' Court, Ilkeston Magistrates' Court, Newark Magistrates' Court, Retford Magistrates' Court, Coalville Magistrates' Court, Market Harborough Magistrates' Court, Melton Mowbray Magistrates' Court, Towcester Magistrates' Court, Daventry Magistrates' Court, Rutland Magistrates' Court. County courts: Rugby County Court, Stourbridge County Court, Stratford-Upon-Avon County Court, Newark County Court, Worksop County Court, Melton Mowbray County Court, Wellingborough County Court, Grantham County Court, Skegness County Court, Tamworth County Court, Oswestry County Court, Ludlow County Court, Shrewsbury County Court, Evesham County Court, Redditch County Court, Burton-Upon-Trent County Court, Kidderminster County Court. Retained: Kettering Magistrates' Court, Spalding Magistrates' Court, Worksop Magistrates' Court. South West Magistrates' courts: Frome Magistrates' Court, Bridgwater Magistrates' Court, Liskeard Magistrates' Court, Camborne Magistrates' Court, Totnes Magistrates' Court, Honiton Magistrates' Court, Penzance Magistrates' Court, Blandford Forum Magistrates' Court, Wimborne Magistrates' Court, Coleford Magistrates' Court, Cirencester Magistrates' Court, Andover Magistrates' Court, Alton Magistrates' Court, Lyndhurst Magistrates' Court. County courts: Cheltenham County Court, Penzance County Court, Trowbridge County Court, Poole County Court. Retained: Newton Abbot Magistrates' Court, Stroud Magistrates' Court. South East Magistrates' courts: Grays Magistrates' Court, Epping Magistrates' Court, Ely Magistrates' Court, Wisbech Magistrates' Court, Thetford Magistrates' Court, Cromer Magistrates' Court, Swaffham Magistrates' Court, Sudbury Magistrates' Court, Ashford Magistrates' Court, Sittingbourne Magistrates' Court, Epsom Magistrates' Court, Woking Magistrates' Court, Mid-Sussex Magistrates' Court, Lewes Magistrates' Court, Bicester Magistrates' Court, Hemel Hempstead Magistrates' Court, Witney Magistrates' Court, Amersham Magistrates' Court, Didcot Magistrates' Court. County courts: Ashford County Court, Gravesend County Court, Haywards Heath County Court, Epsom County Court, Huntingdon County Court, Harlow County Court, Lowestoft County Court, Newbury County Court, Hitchin County Court. Retained: Harlow Magistrates' Court, Newbury Magistrates' Court. London Magistrates' courts; Acton Magistrates' Court, Haringey Magistrates' Court (Highgate), Harrow Magistrates' Court, Sutton Magistrates' Court, Barking Magistrates' Court, Brentford Magistrates' Court, Kingston Magistrates' Court, Woolwich Magistrates' Court, Balham Youth Court, Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court. County courts: Ilford County Court Retained: Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court, Mayor's And City of London County Court. ? Share this blog entry:
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