Threat to Leicestershire's courts feared
Leicester Mercury - Thursday 01 OctoberReleased on:
02/10/2009
An MP has said he fears for the future of magistrates' courts in Leicestershire's market towns.
Shadow Attorney General Edward Garnier, who represents Harborough, made the comments in response to plans to stop holding youth courts in two towns.
The Ministry of Justice – which oversees courts in England and Wales – has confirmed it has temporarily stopped listing youth cases at Melton Mowbray and Coalville magistrates' courts.
But Mr Garnier believes it is a sign that other courts and support services in the county could be under threat.
He said: "It has come to my attention that the Ministry of Justice and the Courts Service are intent on shutting courts and courts' services in order to concentrate their work in Leicester and Loughborough.
"The youth courts in Melton Mowbray and Coalville have been marked for closure without the chairmen of those benches even being allowed to consult their colleagues on the bench. The administrative side of Hinckley is likely to close."
Mr Garnier, who is also a part-time crown court judge, said: "Staffing throughout the district is being astronomically reduced which makes case management and the listing of trial and other hearing dates very difficult.
"We all know that thanks to this Government's inept financial management it is now taking an axe to departmental funding and the Ministry of Justice is required to find massive savings. But destroying local justice and lay magistrates' courts in Market Harborough and our other market towns is utterly foolish."
Market Harborough court is held two days a week.
The number of local criminal cases have reduced in recent years because of increased powers given to the police to issue on-the-spot fines and cautions for minor crimes.
County-based Justice Minister Lord Willie Bach dismissed Mr Garnier's fears. He said: "The allegations about closing courts in Melton Mowbray and Coalville are untrue.
"A local decision has been made – by the judiciary, including local magistrates and courts staff – to temporarily stop listing youth cases at these courts.
"Typically, these youth courts sit only for two half days a month.
"Other cases involving adults and family proceedings continue to be listed as normal.
"This is normal procedure. As someone who aspires to Government, one might have thought Mr Garnier would be familiar with such processes.
"He will know as a distinguished lawyer that one of the first rules is to check one's facts before commenting."
Local lawyers organisation, the Leicestershire Law Society, said they had heard the rumours of threats to outlying courts. But the chairman of its Litigation committee in Leicester, Emma Stanbanks, said: "We are not aware of any planned cuts."
Leicestershire Law Society are investigating further to clarify the situation and will update once further information has been received.
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