Don’t close courts, improve them

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling plans to close up to 100 courts and turn the Courts and Tribunals Service into a commercial operation.

The Times revealed yesterday that the Ministry of Justice is considering a new strutcute that would see the courts become self-funding.

A Law Societyspokesman said:

“Nobody would argue with making courts run more efficiently, but the court system is an essential part of our democracy and in assuring the rule of law.

“Courts provide essential access to justice for all citizens to ensure that their disputes can be resolved.

“Improving the way the courts are run inside the public sector would produce real benefits to the taxpayer and citizen, rather than adding to the profits of private operators.”

Government plans to close courts are "premature", the Magistrates' Association has said. In a letter to Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, the organisation said a new funding settlement should be considered before closures were mooted.

The Times said Mr Grayling is considering "hiving off court buildings to a private company, which would run and maintain them, or a more radical proposal in which the 20,000 courts staff would also transfer to the private sector".

Michael Mansfield, QC said under the plans to commercialise the courts, “we could have the trucking firm Stobarts providing the barristers and McDonald’s or Starbucks sponsoring the Supreme Court”.

He added: “What would happen if there was a dispute involving one of these companies, say on tax avoidance, before the courts?”