Scottish News @ ScottishTimes Scottish LibDems Press Release: CAMPBELL: COURT CLOSURES MEAN JUSTICE REFORMS WILL NOT SERVE COMMUNITIES North East Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell today said it was extraordinary that SNP plans for the wholesale overhaul of court services will be accompanied by indiscriminate Sheriff Court closures. Earlier this year, SNP Ministers confirmed they would press ahead with plans to close 17 courts around Scotland, including 10 Sheriff courts. The programme of closures is set to begin in November. Sir Menzies was speaking after a Courts Reform Bill was included in the Scottish Government’s programme for the coming Parliamentary session. Speaking at Holyrood this week, the First Minister described the reforms as “the most radical set of changes to the civil courts for more than a century”. Commenting, Sir Menzies said: “Many of the proposals in the courts reform bill make sense but it is extraordinary that such a wholesale review of court services is being accompanied by the indiscriminate closure of local sheriff courts. “How will these reforms serve the community when local people have to travel considerable distances and incur unnecessary expense as a result of sheriff court closures? The SNP government should really think again before embarking on their short-sighted and centralising approach to sheriff courts.”
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 13:16:46 +0000
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