News In Focus
23 November 2007
Summary courts to be reshaped in Highlands
The Scottish Court Service (SCS) has announced its decision on court unification proposals for Grampian, Highland and Islands as the summary justice reforms take effect.
Under the reforms, district courts will become justice of the peace courts, operated by the SCS rather than by local authorities as at present. The programme is being implemented sheriffdom by sheriffdom, with the date set for the north being 2 June 2008.
From that date, JP courts will operate in Aberdeen, Banff, Dingwall, Dornoch, Elgin, Fort William, Inverness, Portree, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Stornoway, Tain and Wick. Business from Inverurie District Court will transfer to the new Aberdeen JP court, and business from Nairn District Court and Kingussie District Court will be heard in the new JP court in Inverness.
Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service, Eleanor Emberson, said:
"We had many consultation respondents who strongly opposed our proposals to close the district courts in Nairn, Kingussie and Inverurie. There were considerable local concerns expressed in relation to a loss of local justice. We had to weigh very carefully these real concerns against the fact that these courts sit only once or twice a month and that summary justice reforms will demand greater standards from our court facilities.
"The three key issues for us were efficiency and best value for the taxpayer, future volumes of business and ensuring high quality court accommodation.
Ms Emberson pointed out that some of the business currently handled by JPs will in future be dealt with through non-court actions such as fixed penalty notices, fiscal compensation orders and police antisocial fixed penalty notices; and some of the business currently handled in the sheriff court will be dealt with by the JP court.
"This puts considerable additional pressure on JP court buildings - for example, making it even more important to ensure that suitable custody and witness facilities are available and that there are secure access routes within buildings.
"We estimate that to bring these three courts to a suitable standard would cost at least £2.4 million. We have available capacity to hear this business in Inverness and Aberdeen and have concluded we cannot justify or afford this considerable expenditure, given that these courts sit infrequently and that we have suitable court accommodation elsewhere."