54 county courts under threat

On 24 June the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Kenneth Clarke, announced proposals for consultation on the closure of 103 magistrates’ courts and 54 of the 220 county courts, saying closure of the courts covered in the consultation would achieve running cost savings of around £15.3m per year. These courts also have backlog maintenance of around £21.5m, costs that can be avoided if the closures go ahead. Following a full analysis of responses to the consultation, and a decision on whether and which courts to close, a further assessment will take place on the level of savings that could be achieved and the potential value that could be released from the disposal of the properties.