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| Closures of courts and tribunals in England and Wales announced | Closures of courts and tribunals in England and Wales announced |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nearly a fifth of all courts and tribunals in England and Wales are to close, the government has announced. | Nearly a fifth of all courts and tribunals in England and Wales are to close, the government has announced. |
| Eighty-six of 460 courts and tribunal hearing centres will shut as part of "modernisation" plans, HM Courts and Tribunal Service confirmed. | Eighty-six of 460 courts and tribunal hearing centres will shut as part of "modernisation" plans, HM Courts and Tribunal Service confirmed. |
| The reforms aim to reduce the £500m annual cost of the courts estate. | The reforms aim to reduce the £500m annual cost of the courts estate. |
| Ministers said 48% of court buildings were empty at least half of the time last year, but the Law Society warns closures could limit access to justice. | Ministers said 48% of court buildings were empty at least half of the time last year, but the Law Society warns closures could limit access to justice. |
| Crown courts, county courts, family courts, youth courts, civil courts and tribunal hearing centres are among the centres that will close. | |
| In a written statement, Justice Minister Shailesh Vara said the closures were necessary because many court buildings were "expensive to maintain yet unsuitable for modern technology". | In a written statement, Justice Minister Shailesh Vara said the closures were necessary because many court buildings were "expensive to maintain yet unsuitable for modern technology". |
| "Court closures are difficult decisions; local communities have strong allegiances to their local courts and I understand their concerns," he said. | "Court closures are difficult decisions; local communities have strong allegiances to their local courts and I understand their concerns," he said. |
| "But changes to the estate are vital if we are to modernise a system which everybody accepts is unwieldy, inefficient, slow, expensive to maintain and unduly bureaucratic." | "But changes to the estate are vital if we are to modernise a system which everybody accepts is unwieldy, inefficient, slow, expensive to maintain and unduly bureaucratic." |
| 'Expensive journeys' | 'Expensive journeys' |
| In total, 86 of the 91 courts and tribunal hearing centres that had been under consultation for closure will shut, the minister confirmed. | In total, 86 of the 91 courts and tribunal hearing centres that had been under consultation for closure will shut, the minister confirmed. |
| On average, the 86 courts due to be closed were only being used for just over a third of their available hearing time - equivalent to fewer than two days a week, he said. | On average, the 86 courts due to be closed were only being used for just over a third of their available hearing time - equivalent to fewer than two days a week, he said. |
| More than 97% of citizens would still be able to reach their required court "by car within an hour" after the closures, he added. | More than 97% of citizens would still be able to reach their required court "by car within an hour" after the closures, he added. |
| The Law Society, which represents solicitors, had opposed the majority of closures. | The Law Society, which represents solicitors, had opposed the majority of closures. |
| It had argued that many people using public transport faced long and expensive journeys, giving an example of a return journey from one Aylesbury court which had been due to close to the proposed alternative Milton Keynes, which cost £71 and was a five-hour round trip. | It had argued that many people using public transport faced long and expensive journeys, giving an example of a return journey from one Aylesbury court which had been due to close to the proposed alternative Milton Keynes, which cost £71 and was a five-hour round trip. |
| Malcolm Richardson, national chairman of the Magistrates' Association, a charity which represents magistrates in England and Wales, said many of its members would be "very worried" about the impact of the closures. | |
| "There will be inevitable additional pressure on the system and the paramount concern of magistrates is for accessible justice to be protected," he said. | |
| The following courts will close: | |
| London | |
| Midlands | |
| North East | |
| North West | |
| South East | |
| South West | |
| Wales | |
| The following courts will close with changes to the original government proposals - work will either move to another HM Courts & Tribunals Service site, or an alternative local location. Full details can be found on a court-by-court basis in the government's regional responses. | |
| London | |
| Midlands | |
| North East | |
| North West | |
| South East | |
| Wales | |
| The following courts, which had been under consideration for closure as part of the government's consultation, will remain open: | |
| North West | |
| South West | |
| Wales |