Published on:
20
December 2012
Clackmannanshire Council is to formally ask the Scottish Court Service to get round the table and discuss the possibility establishing a co-located court site within Alloa.
Alloa Sheriff Court has been earmarked for closure by SCS due mainly to its proximity to Stirling Sheriff Court, and the costs of running the court.
Closure would mean the Clackmannanshire Council area becoming the only Local Authority in Scotland not to have a Sheriff Court within its administrative area.
SCS claim the closure would accrue an estimated annual running cost saving of £37,000 for
Alloa Sheriff Court. There is also an estimated backlog maintenance saving of £1,016,000. However the context of this is rather unclear and the Council has asked local faculty of lawyers, Gordon Banks MP and Keith Brown, MSP, for further information.
The closure of the Alloa Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court would mean the transfer of sheriff and jury cases from Alloa Sheriff Court to Falkirk Sheriff Court and the move of summary criminal and civil court business to Stirling Sheriff Court.
Council Leader, Councillor Gary Womersley, said: "The implications are huge. At present
there is almost instantaneous access to services for those convicted of offences and given a community based disposal. Criminal Justice staff are present within Alloa Sheriff Court, or can be requested to attend at short notice due to their close proximity, resulting in a speedier access to services.
"Moving solemn cases to Falkirk Sheriff Court and summary cases to Stirling Sheriff Court may seriously compromise the Criminal Justice Service's ability to comply with the national guidance on post sentence speed immediacy due to logistical problems for staff."
In September 2012, the SCS launched a public consultation process outlining proposals for the future structure of Court provision in Scotland. The closing date for responses is 12pm on 21 December 2012.
Clackmannanshire residents and Community Councils were invited to contribute comments to the consultation through a survey on ClacksWeb.
These comments are to be included in Clackmannanshire Council's formal response to the SCS.
Those who responded, 93 per cent disagreed with the proposal to close Alloa Sheriff Court. Residents were then asked if they felt moving the courts to Stirling or Falkirk would lead to a better or poorer justice system. Of those who responded, 90 per cent said poorer.
The Community Councils collectively objected to the closure on the grounds of local need, the impact upon citizens and on the Services who support vulnerable people, the impact on the local economy.
Councillor Womersley added: "This will inevitably impact upon the service delivery to Clackmannanshire with key-workers required to be out with the area. There is also a potential reduction, or delay, in access to court for "emergency orders" such as child protection orders, warrants for Environmental Services and Mental Health Teams.
"And of course a potential loss to Alloa Town Centre and it's regeneration. There is a
concern that local legal firms, who rely on court business, may relocate due to financial constraints within Legal Aid, including not being able to recover the costs of travel to Stirling to represent clients.
"There is also significant disadvantages to key vulnerable groups with women suffering increased anxiety in having to travel further to give evidence in domestic or sexual abuse cases and young people and children involved in Court proceedings, whether in relation to child protection, adoption, child welfare or family law matters being required to travel further."
The Criminal Justice Service in its interface with Alloa Sheriff Court over 2011/12 were responsible for handling 743 requests for reports, 400 Community Supervision Orders and 466 requests for Bail information.
Councillor Womersley concluded: "There is a real concern that Stirling Sheriff Court would not have the capacity to deal with this level of business."