Court closures and reforms must be subject to parliamentary scrutiny
2 min read
Since Conservatives came to power in 2010, hundreds of courts have been closed. Labour MP Tan Dhesi warns that such major changes need proper safeguards, without which, our system of justice may be put at risk.
258 courts have been closed since 2010, and the Government is consulting on further closures. A radical programme of modernisation, including virtual court hearings online, is underway, but I have serious concerns that, for those who will have to travel to a court further away, or for whom digital is not an ideal option, access to justice will be reduced.
Major changes such as these need proper safeguards. Without them, our system of justice may be undermined and its reputation damaged. But when the Ministry of Justice’s budget has seen a cut of 40% since 2010 – the most of any Department – what confidence can we have that the needs of users and access to justice will be at the heart of decisions?
Currently there are five consultations on proposals to close eight courts: Banbury Magistrates' and County Court and Maidenhead Magistrates' Court, Cambridge Magistrates' Court, Chorley Magistrates' Court and Fleetwood Magistrates' Court, Northallerton Magistrates' Court, Wandsworth County Court, and Blackfriars Crown Court. Given the scale of closures since 2010 there seems little doubt what conclusion will be reached.
Such closures obviously lead to longer journey times for many. A previous standard journey to a hearing by public transport was an hour; now the Government is consulting on a travel standard there and back in a day. This is onerous, and would have an obvious impact on those for whom travel is difficult or who have responsibility for childcare. The consultation does not take into account the impact of the likely increased cost of these longer journeys.
There is great potential for the use of technology in our court service where it enhances access to justice and timely dispute resolution. Nevertheless, online and virtual justice can come with risks, for example discrimination against vulnerable defendants. Such risks must be properly managed and robustly tested; however, the government has pressed ahead, already allocated over £100m in contracts for digitisation.
Given all these concerns, Labour is calling for a halt to further court closures or digitisation contracts until the promised Courts Bill is published, so the reforms can be subjected to parliamentary scrutiny.
I also want Ministers to provide evidence and assurances that considerations of access to justice are paramount in decisions. A discussion on this is long overdue
Tan Dhesi is the Labour Member of Parliament for Slough
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