St Helens Magistrates’ Court, Ormskirk Magistrates’ Court and Warrington County Court will shut within the next two years, the Government said today.
The closures are part of a national move to modernise the justice system, which will see the closure of 86 courts in total.
A report released by the Ministry of Justice, led by Justice Minister Shailesh Vara, said that many of the current 460 court buildings are underused and nearly half of all court rooms were used for less than half the time they were open last year.
The report added that these underused courts and tribunals are expensive to maintain yet unsuitable for modern technology, and as a result nearly ninety are being closed in England and Wales to create “a more user-focused and efficient Court & Tribunal service”.
In just the last few years Merseyside has said goodbye to Dale Street Magistrates’ Court; Victoria Street Magistrates’ Court; Huyton and Knowlsey Magistrates’ Court and North Sefton Magistrates Court in Southport.
When the Southport court closed in 2011 it was met with huge opposition including a 5,000-strong petition from the Residential Landlord Association.
While St Helens County Court has been retained, St Helens Magistrates’ Court will be closed within the next two years and it is looking as though the court’s functions will be moved to Liverpool’s Combined Court Centre, which already houses the Crown Court, Youth Court and Magistrates’ courts which were shut down.
The closure comes just four years after the Ministry of Justice spent £1.7 million refurbishing the St Helens courthouse to accommodate civil and criminal proceedings in the same building.
Conor McGinn, MP for St Helens North, has criticised these plans, calling them “bad news” for residents and an attempt by the Conservative Party to “denigrate the status of St Helens as a major town in the North West”.
He said: “This is bad news for the town and for residents of St Helens North. We await further and final details from the Ministry of Justice, but it would appear that the functions of the Court will move to Liverpool.
“Many appointments at court are often first thing in the morning, and without access to adequate transport attendance will simply be unfeasible for many of my constituents.
“This is particularly the case for the people who live in places like Rainford, Billinge, Moss Bank and Haydock and rural areas, who have to travel just to reach direct bus and rail services to Liverpool.
“Added to that, the cost of the train or bus to Liverpool will also have an impact on vulnerable people in my constituency whether they are victims, witnesses or defendants. Someone’s financial means should not affect their ability to access the justice system.
“Today’s announcement is another attempt by the Tory Government to denigrate the status of St Helens as a major town in the North West. We must not let them succeed.”
Ormskirk Magistrates’ Court and Family Court – a grade II listed sandstone building that dates back to 1860 – and Warrington County Court will also close.
The ECHO has approached the Ministry of Justice to find out where the two courts’ functions will be moved to, but has not yet received a response.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/