 |
| Former Magistrates' Court - Kendal |
The data for Magistrates is particularly striking.
We see a loss of 10,122 magistrates since 2012 and, of the 15,003 remaining the data notes that 55% are over 60 - i.e. 8,252. If the retirement age remains 70, that 55% will all have left the magistracy by 2028.
Interestingly, closures of Magistrates' Courts is not mentioned as a reason for loss of numbers even though many courts have been closed since 2010 - see this written answer 5 January 2016 - and closures have taken place subsequently - e.g. Kendal (pictured) in 2017.
The New Statesman noted the closures on 27 June 2018 - Crumbling Britain: The quiet decline of English courts .
The number of District Judges (Magistrates' Courts) stood at 145 on 19th April 2018 - HERE.
It is generally argued that the court closures are justifiable on grounds of saving money whilst improving efficiency. Local justice was something we valued at one time but it is now being allowed to wither on the vine.
Further court closures are planned - The Independent 24 July 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment