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| Ninety one 'surplus' courts face closure | Ninety one 'surplus' courts face closure |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The government is consulting on plans to close 91 courts and tribunals in England and Wales. | The government is consulting on plans to close 91 courts and tribunals in England and Wales. |
| The aim is to reduce what Justice Secretary Michael Gove has identified as "surplus capacity". | The aim is to reduce what Justice Secretary Michael Gove has identified as "surplus capacity". |
| Courts under threat include 57 magistrates' courts, 19 county courts, two crown courts, four tribunal hearing centres and nine combined courts. | Courts under threat include 57 magistrates' courts, 19 county courts, two crown courts, four tribunal hearing centres and nine combined courts. |
| Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service operates 460 courts and tribunal hearing centres. | Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service operates 460 courts and tribunal hearing centres. |
| The government has also announced it is "integrating" a further 31 tribunals in England and Wales. | The government has also announced it is "integrating" a further 31 tribunals in England and Wales. |
| 'Difficult decisions' | 'Difficult decisions' |
| In a written statement, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for courts and legal aid, Shailesh Vara, said the service's estate was "underused" and cost the taxpayer about £500m every year. | In a written statement, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for courts and legal aid, Shailesh Vara, said the service's estate was "underused" and cost the taxpayer about £500m every year. |
| He said better access to justice could only be provided if "difficult decisions" were taken to reduce the cost of the estate and reinvest the savings. | He said better access to justice could only be provided if "difficult decisions" were taken to reduce the cost of the estate and reinvest the savings. |
| "Last year over a third of all courts and tribunals were empty for more than 50% of their available hearing time," he said. | "Last year over a third of all courts and tribunals were empty for more than 50% of their available hearing time," he said. |
| "The buildings being consulted on represent 16% of hearing rooms across the estate which are, on average, used for only a third of their available time. | "The buildings being consulted on represent 16% of hearing rooms across the estate which are, on average, used for only a third of their available time. |
| "That is equivalent to fewer than two out of five days in a week." | "That is equivalent to fewer than two out of five days in a week." |
| Technology such as video, telephone and online conferencing would reduce the need for face-to-face hearings, which should be reserved for "the most sensitive or complex cases", Mr Vara said. | Technology such as video, telephone and online conferencing would reduce the need for face-to-face hearings, which should be reserved for "the most sensitive or complex cases", Mr Vara said. |
| In rural locations, public buildings, such as town halls, could be used for hearings instead of "underused, poorly-maintained permanent courts", he suggested. | In rural locations, public buildings, such as town halls, could be used for hearings instead of "underused, poorly-maintained permanent courts", he suggested. |
| He said that after the changes, more than 95% of citizens would still be able to reach their required court within an hour by car. | He said that after the changes, more than 95% of citizens would still be able to reach their required court within an hour by car. |
| 'Action required' | |
| The Public and Commercial Services union, which represents many court workers, said the proposals would restrict access to justice. It promised to challenge the Ministry of Justice's method for calculating underuse of courtrooms. | |
| General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: "With courts closures and cuts to legal aid, access to justice has been significantly restricted by the previous government and now this one. | General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: "With courts closures and cuts to legal aid, access to justice has been significantly restricted by the previous government and now this one. |
| "We do not believe it is in the interests of justice to leave our communities without easy access to courthouses and tribunals." | "We do not believe it is in the interests of justice to leave our communities without easy access to courthouses and tribunals." |
| Lucy Hastings, of the independent charity Victim Support, said the government needed to make the court process more efficient. | |
| She said the Crown Court system was taking longer than at any point in the past 15 years to process cases, and the backlog of outstanding cases now stood at over 54,000. | |
| "Action is required to reduce the long waits faced by victims and witnesses in seeing offenders brought to justice," she said. | |
| The consultation will run for 12 weeks until 8 October. | The consultation will run for 12 weeks until 8 October. |
| A full list of the courts affected: | A full list of the courts affected: |
| London | London |
| Bow County Court | Bow County Court |
| Feltham Magistrates' Court | Feltham Magistrates' Court |
| Greenwich Magistrates' Court | Greenwich Magistrates' Court |
| Hammersmith County Court (formerly West London County Court) | Hammersmith County Court (formerly West London County Court) |
| Lambeth County Court | Lambeth County Court |
| Pocock Street Tribunal Hearing Centre | Pocock Street Tribunal Hearing Centre |
| Richmond-upon-Thames Magistrates' Court | Richmond-upon-Thames Magistrates' Court |
| Tottenham Magistrates' Court | Tottenham Magistrates' Court |
| Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court | Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court |
| Woolwich County Court | Woolwich County Court |
| Midlands | Midlands |
| Birmingham Youth Court | Birmingham Youth Court |
| Burton-upon-Trent Magistrates' Court | Burton-upon-Trent Magistrates' Court |
| Buxton Magistrates' and County Court | Buxton Magistrates' and County Court |
| Corby Magistrates' Court | Corby Magistrates' Court |
| Grantham Magistrates' Court | Grantham Magistrates' Court |
| Hinckley Magistrates' Court | Hinckley Magistrates' Court |
| Kettering County Court | Kettering County Court |
| Kettering Magistrates' Court | Kettering Magistrates' Court |
| Sandwell Magistrates' Court | Sandwell Magistrates' Court |
| Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court | Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court |
| Skegness Magistrates' Court | Skegness Magistrates' Court |
| Solihull Magistrates' Court | Solihull Magistrates' Court |
| Stafford Magistrates' Court | Stafford Magistrates' Court |
| Worksop Magistrates' Court | Worksop Magistrates' Court |
| North East | North East |
| Consett Magistrates' Court | Consett Magistrates' Court |
| Halifax County Court and Family Court | Halifax County Court and Family Court |
| Halifax (Calderdale) Magistrates' and Family Court | Halifax (Calderdale) Magistrates' and Family Court |
| Hartlepool Magistrates' Court and County Court | Hartlepool Magistrates' Court and County Court |
| Morpeth County Court | Morpeth County Court |
| Rotherham Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court | Rotherham Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court |
| Scunthorpe Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court | Scunthorpe Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court |
| Wakefield Magistrates' Court | Wakefield Magistrates' Court |
| North West | North West |
| Accrington County Court | Accrington County Court |
| Accrington Magistrates' Court | Accrington Magistrates' Court |
| Bolton County Court and Family Court | Bolton County Court and Family Court |
| Bury Magistrates' Court and County Court | Bury Magistrates' Court and County Court |
| Kendal Magistrates' Court and County Court | Kendal Magistrates' Court and County Court |
| Macclesfield County Court | Macclesfield County Court |
| Macclesfield Magistrates' Court | Macclesfield Magistrates' Court |
| Oldham County Court | Oldham County Court |
| Oldham Magistrates' Court | Oldham Magistrates' Court |
| Ormskirk Magistrates' Court and Family Court | Ormskirk Magistrates' Court and Family Court |
| Runcorn (Halton) Magistrates' Court | Runcorn (Halton) Magistrates' Court |
| St Helens Magistrates' Court and County Court | St Helens Magistrates' Court and County Court |
| Stockport Magistrates' Court and County Court | Stockport Magistrates' Court and County Court |
| Tameside County Court | Tameside County Court |
| Trafford Magistrates' Court and Altrincham County Court | Trafford Magistrates' Court and Altrincham County Court |
| Warrington County Court | Warrington County Court |
| West Cumbria Magistrates' Court and County Court | West Cumbria Magistrates' Court and County Court |
| South East | South East |
| Aylesbury Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court | Aylesbury Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court |
| Basildon Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (Acorn House) | Basildon Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (Acorn House) |
| Bedford and Mid Beds Magistrates' Court and Family Court and Bedford County Court and Family Court | Bedford and Mid Beds Magistrates' Court and Family Court and Bedford County Court and Family Court |
| Bicester Magistrates' Court and Family Court | Bicester Magistrates' Court and Family Court |
| Bury St. Edmunds Magistrates' Court and Family Court and Bury St. Edmunds Crown Court | Bury St. Edmunds Magistrates' Court and Family Court and Bury St. Edmunds Crown Court |
| Chichester Combined Court (Crown and County) | Chichester Combined Court (Crown and County) |
| Chichester Magistrates' Court | Chichester Magistrates' Court |
| Colchester County Court and Family Court | Colchester County Court and Family Court |
| Colchester County Court Offices | Colchester County Court Offices |
| Dartford Magistrates' Court | Dartford Magistrates' Court |
| Dover Magistrates' Court | Dover Magistrates' Court |
| Eastbourne Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court | Eastbourne Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court |
| Harlow Magistrates' Court | Harlow Magistrates' Court |
| Kings Lynn County Court and Family Court | Kings Lynn County Court and Family Court |
| Lowestoft Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court | Lowestoft Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court |
| Redhill Magistrates' Court and Family Court and Reigate County Court and Family Court | Redhill Magistrates' Court and Family Court and Reigate County Court and Family Court |
| St Albans County Court | St Albans County Court |
| Tunbridge Wells County Court and Family Court | Tunbridge Wells County Court and Family Court |
| Watford Magistrates' Court and Family Court | Watford Magistrates' Court and Family Court |
| West Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates' Court | West Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates' Court |
| South West | South West |
| Barnstaple Crown Court | Barnstaple Crown Court |
| Bath Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court or North Avon (Yate) Magistrates' Court | Bath Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court or North Avon (Yate) Magistrates' Court |
| Bournemouth Magistrates' Court | Bournemouth Magistrates' Court |
| Cheltenham Rivershill House Tribunal | Cheltenham Rivershill House Tribunal |
| Chippenham Magistrates' Court, Civil Court and Family Court | Chippenham Magistrates' Court, Civil Court and Family Court |
| Dorchester Crown Court | Dorchester Crown Court |
| Fareham Magistrates' Court | Fareham Magistrates' Court |
| Gloucester Magistrates' Court | Gloucester Magistrates' Court |
| North Avon (Yate) Magistrates' Court or Bath Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court | North Avon (Yate) Magistrates' Court or Bath Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court |
| Stroud Magistrates' Court | Stroud Magistrates' Court |
| Torquay Magistrates' Court | Torquay Magistrates' Court |
| Wales | Wales |
| Brecon Law Courts | Brecon Law Courts |
| Bridgend Law Courts | Bridgend Law Courts |
| Carmarthen Civil, Family, Tribunal and Probate Hearing Centre | Carmarthen Civil, Family, Tribunal and Probate Hearing Centre |
| Carmarthen Law Courts (The Guildhall) | Carmarthen Law Courts (The Guildhall) |
| Dolgellau Crown and Magistrates' Court | Dolgellau Crown and Magistrates' Court |
| Holyhead Magistrates' Court | Holyhead Magistrates' Court |
| Llangefni Civil and Family Court | Llangefni Civil and Family Court |
| Neath and Port Talbot Civil and Family Court | Neath and Port Talbot Civil and Family Court |
| Pontypridd Magistrates' Court | Pontypridd Magistrates' Court |
| Prestatyn Magistrates' Court | Prestatyn Magistrates' Court |