Limavady courthouse given stay of execution by Justice Minister
JUSTICE Minister Claire Sugden has reversed a sentence to close six courthouses in the North of Ireland.
In February, the then-minister David Ford said Limavady, Magherafelt and Strabane would no longer stay open.
The three court houses were earmarked for closure along with buildings in Armagh, Ballymena and Lisburn.
Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan was among senior legal figures who expressed serious concern about the potential impact on the administration of justice if the courts stopped hearing cases.
Last year, Mr Ford insisted a decreasing departmental budget had left him with little alternative but to rationalise the courts estate.
He said the proposed closures would deliver £1.1million in savings a year.
Judicial review proceedings were set to go before the High Court challenging the closure decisions in respect of three of the courts.
But Justice Minister Sugden told the Assembly today she had listened to concerns around the closures and she did not believe it would be appropriate to proceed with them.
“Recognising the need to rationalise the court estate, however, I must ensure that when moving forward we have sufficient flexibility to deliver better outcomes for the community through reform and innovation,” the Minister said.
“I have asked the NI Courts and Tribunals Service, working with the Lord Chief Justice, to consider the requirements of the court estate in the context of a changing justice environment, mindful that facilities must meet the needs of those using our courts and in particular that the needs of victims and witnesses.”
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