'Crime could rise if court is closed down' (From Gazette & Herald)

'Crime could rise if court is closed down'

THERE are fears of increased crime if Pickering loses its magistrates court warns a local government solicitor.

Ryedale District Council's solicitor, Anthony Winship, says he believes there is a great risk of smaller courts such as Pickering closing.

North Yorkshire Magistrates Court Committee is reviewing how many people use the courts and whether they should be modernised or closed.

Mr Winship said: "An increase in crime is possible if the administration of justice is removed from local people."

Criteria being used by the court committee in considering factors include:

is the courthouse within 40 miles of 90pc of the population which it serves?

is the courthouse accessible by public transport so people can get there and back in one day?

is the courthouse within 15 minutes walk of the nearest public transport?

is the courthouse accessible by train?

what is the proportion of cases with local witnesses or defendants?

what proportion of defendants and witnesses do not have their own car?

Mr Winship said it was difficult to balance efficiency with accessibility when considering the magistrates courts. Pickering was the only magistrates' court in the Ryedale District Council area.

Coun Brian Cottam, who represents Birdsall on the district council, is also concerned that local justice would not be administered by local people.

He already knew of one local magistrate who had decided to retire from the bench, rather than travel to the court in Scarborough.

There were concerns, too, that not only was travelling to Scarborough difficult for magistrates, it could mean witnesses would not be so willing to testify.

Coun Linda Cowling from Pickering said closing Norton magistrates court had been a retrograde step. She was not confident the same treatment was not waiting for Pickering. She said: "It is a small court and it is perhaps used much less than, say, the court in Scarborough, but it still fulfils a local service."

Representing a rural community, Coun Keith Knaggs sits on the district and also the county council. He said the county had strong objection to closing Pickering court.

The underlying worry was closing local courts could be one step nearer doing away with lay magistrates appointed from within the community.

He said: "There is a fundamental right. That is the right to be tried by one's peers who are a bit like you, live in your community and understand your way of life. This is being gradually whittled away."

Paul Bradley, regional justice co-ordinator for North Yorkshire, said the process was still at the consultation stage.

He said: "We are looking at how the courts are used and their facilities. From this, we will decide whether they should be modernised, left as they are or closed."

The court committee would be consulting with the police, the probation service and the Crown Prosecution Service. It will also seek the views of the local community.

He added: "At the moment, we are not saying any magistrates courts in North Yorkshire should close. However, we are not guaranteeing that they won't close."

Updated: 10:27 Friday, February 02, 2001