2010 press releases
29th Jul: MP meets minister to argue for Lewes Magistrates' Court
A litany of reasons to keep Lewes magistrates' court open were presented yesterday to Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogoly by Lewes MP Norman Baker.
In a meeting in Westminster, Norman argued:
- The existing courtroom was a purpose-built facility, only 20 years old, and constructed to the highest standards, including being bomb-proof. It would be a waste of money to write this off. It is also not clear how the building, if vacated, could easily be reused for another purpose
- The location of the magistrates' court provides a synergy with the Crown Court, police headquarters, and the probation service. This would be lost if it were relocated.
- The location is also very accessible by public transport, being close to both the bus station and the railway station
- Lewes, as the county town, is very dependent on white collar public sector work and there is a risk that the closure of the court might have an unwelcome domino effect.
- East Sussex has also lost courts, for example at Crowborough, and the last wave of closures was justified on the basis that Lewes was a satisfactory alternative. If Lewes closes, there will now be a gap with no court between Crawley and Brighton
- Without Lewes, 55% of those who need to access the courts will be over an hour from Brighton by public transport, contrary to government guidelines
- The Court Service has, the MP alleged, been deliberately running down the operation at Lewes in recent months, and the Minister should look at the pattern of usage last year to get a more accurate picture
Norman Baker says: "It would be quite wrong to close Lewes magistrates court, for economic and access reasons. I put a powerful case to the Justice Minister and hope that he will agree that Lewes is a special case and should be spared the axe."
