The closures - imposed under the mantras of "efficiency" and "economy" - affect the whole of England and Wales with the effect that the magistrates' court system will be concentrated on fewer but, usually, larger courts. One result will be that those involved in cases may well be subjected to lengthy journeys, often with poor and reducing public transport, and the undoubted stress felt by witnesses will be increased. Locally administered justice is dying rapidly.
Civil justice will also be administered at fewer locations since the Ministry of Justice proposal contains a list of "integrations." Of note is the reduction in the number of locations where the Family Court sits. This will present particular difficulties for those involved with the courts on all sorts of family matters such as the arrangements for children (contact, residence etc).
The latest round was announced in a Ministry of Justice Proposal issued on 16th July 2015. TODAY (8th October) is the last date for responses.
Consultation Paper 16th July 2015
Here is the list of proposed closures and amalgamations.
London
Bow
County Court
Feltham
Magistrates’ Court
Greenwich
Magistrates’ Court
Hammersmith
County Court (formerly West London County Court)
Lambeth
County Court
Pocock
Street Tribunal Hearing Centre
Richmond-upon-Thames
Magistrates Court
Tottenham
Magistrates’ Court
Waltham
Forest Magistrates’ Court
Woolwich
County Court
Midlands
Birmingham
Youth Court
Burton-upon-Trent
Magistrates’ Court
Buxton
Magistrates’ and County Court
Corby
Magistrates’ Court
Grantham
Magistrates’ Court
Hinckley
Magistrates’ Court
Kettering
County Court
Kettering
Magistrates’ Court
Sandwell
Magistrates’ Court
Shrewsbury
Magistrates’ Court
Skegness
Magistrates’ Court
Solihull
Magistrates’ Court
Stafford
Magistrates’ Court
Worksop
Magistrates’ Court
North East
Consett
Magistrates’ Court
Halifax
County Court and Family Court
Halifax (Calderdale)
Magistrates’ and Family Court
Hartlepool
Magistrates’ Court and County Court
Morpeth
County Court
Rotherham
Magistrates’ Court , County Court and Family Court
Scunthorpe
Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Family Court
Wakefield
Magistrates’ Court
North West
Accrington
County Court
Accrington
Magistrates’ Court
Bolton
County Court and Family Court
Bury
Magistrates’ Court and County Court
Kendal
Magistrates’ Court and County Court
Macclesfield
County Court
Macclesfield
Magistrates’ Court
Oldham
County Court
Oldham Magistrates’
Court
Ormskirk
Magistrates’ Court and Family Court
Runcorn
(Halton) Magistrates’ Court
St
Helens Magistrates’ Court and County Court
Stockport
Magistrates’ Court and County Court
Tameside
County Court
Trafford
Magistrates’ Court and Altrincham County Court
Warrington
County Court
West
Cumbria Magistrates’ Court and County Court
South East
Aylesbury
Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Family Court
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
Bicester
Magistrates’ Court and Family Court
Bury St.
Edmunds Magistrates’ Court and Family Court and Bury St. Edmunds Crown
Court
Chichester
Combined Court (Crown and County)
Chichester
Magistrates’ Court
Colchester
County Court and Family Court
Colchester
County Court Offices
Dartford
Magistrates’ Court
Dover
Magistrates’ Court
Eastbourne
Magistrates’ Court , County Court and Family Court
Harlow
Magistrates’ Court
Kings
Lynn County Court and Family Court
Lowestoft
Magistrates’ Court , County Court and Family Court
Redhill
Magistrates’Court and Family Court
Reigate County
Court and Family Court
St
Albans County Court
Tunbridge
Wells County Court and Family Court
Watford
Magistrates’ Court and Family Court
West
Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates’ Court
South West
Barnstaple
Crown Court
Bournemouth
Magistrates’ Court
Cheltenham
Rivershill House Tribunal
Chippenham
Magistrates’ Court, Civil Court and Family Court
Dorchester
Crown Court
Fareham
Magistrates’ Court
Gloucester
Magistrates’ Court
North
Avon (Yate) Magistrates’ Court or Bath Magistrates’ Court, County Court and
Family Court
Stroud
Magistrates’ Court
Torquay
Magistrates’ Court
Wales
Brecon
Law Courts
Bridgend
Law Courts
Carmarthen
Civil, Family, Tribunal and Probate Hearing Centre
Carmarthen
Law Courts (The Guildhall)
Dolgellau
Crown and Magistrates’ Court
Holyhead
Magistrates’ Court
Llangefni
Civil and Family Court
Neath
and Port Talbot Civil and Family Court
Pontypridd
Magistrates’ Court
Prestatyn
Magistrates’Court
Wrexham
Tribunal (Rhyd Broughton)
In addition to proposed closures
in this consultation the following integrations will be
taking place.
Midlands
Chesterfield
County Court to be integrated within Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court (Chesterfield
Justice Centre)
Chesterfield
Tribunal (St Mary’s Court) to be integrated within Chesterfield Magistrates’
Court
(Chesterfield Justice Centre)
Hereford
County Court and Family Court to be integrated within Hereford Magistrates’ Court
Telford
County Court and Family Court to be integrated within Telford Magistrates’
Court
North East
Doncaster
County Court to be integrated within Doncaster Magistrates’ Court
Doncaster
Tribunal (Portland Place) to be integrated within Doncaster Crown Court
Durham
Elvet House Tribunal to be integrated within other tribunal sites within the
County
Durham
estate, including Durham County and Family Court
East
Parade Sheffield Tribunal to be integrated within Sheffield Combined Court
Harrogate
County Court to be integrated within Harrogate Magistrates’ Court
Middlesbrough
Tribunal Hearing Centre to be integrated within Teesside Magistrates’
Court
Quayside
House Newcastle Tribunal to be integrated within North Shields (Kings Court)
Tribunal
Wilberforce
Court (Hull Employment Tribunal Centre) to be integrated within Hull Magistrates’
Court and Hull Combined Court
North West
Bolton
Magistrates’ Court to be integrated within Bolton Combined Court
Lancaster
County Court to be integrated within Lancaster Magistrates’ Court
Warrington
Magistrates’ Court to be integrated within Warrington Combined Court
South East
Aylesbury
Crown Court to be integrated within Aylesbury Magistrates’ Court, County Court and
Family Hearing Centre
Bury St
Edmunds Employment Tribunal (Government Buildings) to be integrated within Bury
St Edmunds County Court
Cambridge
Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (Eastbrook House)
Cambridge
Tribunal to be integrated within
Cambridge Civil Justice centre and Cambridge
Magistrates’
Court
Cambridge
Residential Property Tribunal Service to be integrated within Cambridge Civil
Justice
Centre
Norwich Employment Tribunal (Eliot House) integrated within
Norwich Magistrates’ Court
Southend
County Court and Family Court to be integrated within Southend Crown and Magistrates’
Court
South West
Aldershot
and Farnham County Court to be integrated within Aldershot Magistrates’ Court
Arcade
Chambers (Aldershot Tribunal) to be integrated within Aldershot Magistrates’ Court
Plymouth
St Catherine’s House (Plymouth Tribunal) to be integrated within Plymouth
Combined
and Plymouth Magistrates’ Court
Southampton
Western Range and Barrack Block to be integrated within Southampton
Magistrates’
Court
Taunton
Blackdown House (Taunton Tribunal) to be integrated within Taunton Deane
Magistrates’
Court
The
Crescent Centre (Bristol Tribunal) to be integrated within Bristol Civil
Justice Centre
Weymouth
and Dorchester Combined Court offices to be integrated within Weymouth Magistrates
Court
Yeovil
County Court to be integrated within South Somerset and Mendip Magistrates Court
(Yeovil)
Wales
Caernarfon
Civil and Family Court to be integrated within Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre
Swansea
Crown Court (Guildhall) to be integrated within Swansea Crown Court (St Helens)
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