MP presents Courts Petition to Ministry of Justice

Christopher Pincher, Member of Parliament for Tamworth, this week presented a petition against proposed court closures signed by nearly two thousand local residents to the Ministry of Justice in London.

Mr Pincher presented the Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) petition against recommendations from Her Majesty’s Court Service to close both Tamworth magistrates’ and county courts which will see magistrates’ duties split between Burton and Cannock and county court services diverted to far away Stafford.

Mr Pincher said, “I am grateful to Tamworth’s CAB for organising this petition signed by nearly two thousand local people. The petition will send a clear message to the Ministry of Justice that many people object to these proposals which I believe have not been properly thought through. We fully understand that savings need to be made but given the superior facilities, location and current usage of the Tamworth courts, the Ministry should reconsider its closure proposals and look elsewhere for savings.  I fear that with police officers and council staff having to travel further for longer to give evidence, this cut will be a false economy.”

David Gooding, District Manager at Tamworth CAB, said, “We recognise the need to review the use of local courts, especially where court premises are underused but this is not the case in Tamworth. The Tamworth Courts are integral to the community they serve and closure will leave limited options for people facing court hearings. For example, it’s vital that anyone who may need to can reach a court in time for its first hearing at 10 am. If the local court is closed down, it may be extremely difficult for some people to manage this, especially if they live in areas with limited transport options.”