Council chiefs call for town halls to be used as courts to prevent closure
Council chambers could be used to hold proceedings in places where existing courts face the axe under Ministry of Justice proposals, the Local Government Association has claimed.
In its submission to the MoJ, which is consulting on the closure of 103 magistrates’ courts and 54 county courts, the LGA argued that such a move would “ensure minimal disruption for victims, witnesses and police officers, and could possibly generate income”.
It also expressed concern that court closures would raise serious issues around the travel time needed – by police officers and witnesses, for example – to attend cases and the speed of proceedings such as family cases.
The LGA warned the MoJ that decisions on whether to close courts should be taken jointly with local councillors “who are democratically elected and best placed to understand their residents’ needs”.
The association pointed to the wide range of civil and criminal matters that councils use the courts for, including:
- Seeking anti-social behaviour orders
- Applications to take children into care
- Statutory nuisance appeals
- Forfeiting counterfeit goods
- Emergency closures of unfit food premises
- Rogue traders
- Fly tipping.
Cllr Mehboob Khan, chair of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said: “Councils already own a number of buildings, available for community activity. Many town hall chambers would provide the perfect setting for court hearings, with some having existing courtroom facilities.
“Local authorities are well aware of the sensitivities of keeping victims witnesses safe. Although specialist courts are needed in some cases, in the vast majority of court cases, council buildings would be more than adequate. It would certainly overcome the problem for rural communities and could maybe provide a boost to council budgets if hire costs were considered.”
Cllr Khan, leader of Kirklees Council, said victims of crime “quite rightly” do not expect to be kept waiting for long periods.
He added: “Encouraging witnesses to attend court is also difficult in some areas. Asking them to travel even further will not help. The public already feel remote from the courts and the justice system. Speedy justice, delivered locally, will help reassure the public that crime is being tackled and offenders appropriately punished.”
The LGA’s submission came after Kettering Borough Council proposed approaching the Courts Service to see if the town’s magistrates’ court could be accommodated in council buildings.
For a full list of the courts affected, click here.
