Solicitor Warns Of Impact of Court Closures on Regional Justice

Tue, 13 Jul 2010

Solicitors in Devon and Cornwall have hit out at plans to close half of the regions magistrates courts, claiming it could endanger local justice. As part of the cutbacks being made to reduce the deficit, the government has revealed plans to close 157 magistrates and county courts across England and Wales, including the courts at Honiton and Newton Abbot. The closures would see the government save £21.5 million from a one-off maintenance backlog bill, and a further £15.3 million each year.

There are concerns that the remaining courts in Exeter would be unable to cope with the workload, while it is also feared that the remaining courts could prove inaccessible to some defendants and witnesses, jeopardising the principle of justice. Duty solicitor Jeremy Asher from Ashfords law firm vocalised these concerns, adding that the changes would contravene the very idea of local justice which magistrates are so keen to enforce.

In addition to the lawyers warning, it has also been argued that the changes may result in the police issuing more fines to avoid cases reaching the courts.
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