As part of the government's cuts programme both Southport's county court and the magistrates' court are to be closed, it has been announced today. The national programme of court closures will see access to county and magistrates' courts (within an hour) reduced by 5% from 90% to 85% according to the BBC. I am assuming this is based on a car journey of less than an hour and this could possibly make access to county and magistrates' courts very difficult for the most vulnerable people and those reliant on public transport, which is also facing cuts and price hikes. We have already seen how inaccessible services can become if they are moved even a short distance away through the difficulty of having our children's hospital services moved to ormskirk. This is a cut we need to oppose. It leaves southport residents without proper access to legal representation. The cuts to legal aid will only compound the problem.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11993436
No comments:
Post a Comment