Court closure proposals

Ministers today announced proposals to "modernise and improve" the use of courts in England & Wales

 

Consultations published today seek to enable HMCS to achieve running cost savings of around £15.3m per year, along with a saving of £21.5m on maintenance costs that could be avoided. They ask for views on whether to close 103 magistrates’ and 54 county courts that are underused and inadequate in England and Wales.  The proposal on the provision of courts services in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk suggests closing County Courts in Huntingdon, Harlow and Lowestoft and combining the closure of many smaller Magistrates Courts with the merger of Local Justice Areas and their separate benches of magistrates.  The consultation document, to which responses are sought by 15th September 2010, may be accessed here.

Date Added: 23rd June 2010