Cuts mean journey to courts 10 times longer
COURT closures have forced people to travel more than 10 times further to access legal services, new figures show.
Victims have gone almost 30 miles further, as the crow flies, to access the justice system since the court cuts took effect.
Analysis of House of Commons Library data found the average distance has gone up by more than 10 miles in 26 local authority areas and by more than five miles in 90. Torbay saw the largest rise, with an average increase of more than 24 miles after the closure of Torquay magistrates court, which remains unsold.
More than 150 magistrates courts in England and Wales were closed in 2010 to be sold off, in a scheme which the coalition government said would fund improvements to the legal system.
Lib Dem leadership contender Layla Moran said: “These figures show that communities are receiving a poorer service as a direct result of the local court closure programme backed by the Tories.”