Plans Shelved To Close Down Six Courthouses In NI

Plans to close down six courthouses in Northern Ireland have been shelved by the Justice Minister.

Minister Claire Sugden halted proposals to shut down courthouses in Armagh, Ballymena, Lisburn, Limavady, Magherafelt and Strabane.

Minister Sugden said: "Having considered representations from the community and in light of a number of developments, including Lord Justice Gillen's Review of Civil and Family Justice and the new Programme for Government focus on problem solving Justice, I do not consider that it would be appropriate to proceed with the proposed closures at this time.

"Recognising the need to rationalise the court estate, however, I must ensure that when moving forward we have sufficient flexibility to deliver better outcomes for the community through reform and innovation.

"I have asked the NI Courts and Tribunals Service, working with the Lord Chief Justice, to consider the requirements of the court estate in the context of a changing justice environment, mindful that facilities must meet the needs of those using our courts and in particular that the needs of victims and witnesses."

However, Alliance Justice spokesperson Trevor Lunn MLA has said the Justice Minister has not said where she will find the money to keep the courthouses open.

Mr Lunn said: "The Justice Minister has said she has made a personal decision to keep these six courthouses open, but has not identified where the money will come from. Before announcing the closure of a number of courthouses, the previous Justice Minister undertook a substantial consultation exercise, including a number of public events and a series of meetings with council delegations and other elected representatives. As a result of this listening process several courthouses were reprieved and plans put in place to close six.

"We now have the current Justice Minister halting these closures and announcing a review of what the future of the courts estate should look like in 2020 and beyond. Is this a review of a previous review? The Courts Service is already under severe budgetary pressure, and having to carry out this review while retaining courthouses that are working at well below full capacity can only lead to further pressures. The Minister has not identified where this additional money will come from."

(CD)