Concern over plan to move remand cases out of Shropshire
Suspects taken into police custody face having their court cases heard outside the county, under radical plans to shake-up the justice system.
Telford Magistrates Court currently hears all overnight remand cases in Shropshire.
In Herefordshire and Worcestershire, these type of cases are currently dealt with at courts in Worcester, Redditch, Kidderminster and Hereford.
But there are now plans to host all such cases for Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire at a single court in one of the three counties.
HM Courts and Tribunals Service has launched a consultation, with figures favouring the central location as the magistrates court at either Kidderminster or Worcester.
A consultation document, which has been sent to magistrates, court staff, councils and prison governors among others, states that the objective is to “make the best and most efficient use of available criminal justice agencies’ resources and facilities by centralising overnight remand cases across the week and on Saturdays/Bank Holidays”.
It says that performance in the timely listing of trials is worsening across West Mercia.
The consultation document says there would be “implications for individual staff members who may need to undertake more travel to work on the particular case type depending upon the venue chosen”.
It adds: “For custody escort staff there would be greater travel, but fewer van journeys.”
But the plans to centralise overnight remand cases have been met with concern from solicitors.
Adrian Roberts, partner at Shropshire and Herefordshire-based law firm Lanyon Bowdler, says lawyers, defendants’ families and witnesses all face having to travel much further afield and the plans could cause court cases to be delayed.
In a letter responding to the consultation, he said: “It will be expensive for the lawyers and for the legal aid agency to pay advocates to travel outside Shropshire.
“The Worcester Magistrates Court is 67 miles from Oswestry (1 hour 48 minutes), 51 miles from Shrewsbury (1 hour and 33 minutes) and 40 miles from Telford (1 hour 13 minutes).
“A remand court in Worcester receiving prisoners from Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcester would inevitably result in a considerable amount of time and delay for advocates who have travelled there.”
“At the moment our custody cases in Shropshire are dealt with as priority.
“If there are 18 (or so) custody cases in Worcester, then it is inevitable that solicitors and prisoners will have to wait for a considerable amount of time for the list to be completed.”
He also argued that cases sent to Worcester Magistrates Court would have to be sent to Worcester Crown Court, causing further problems for solicitors, defendants, witnesses and family members.
Mr Roberts says he has also been talking to other concerned solicitors and a group of them could press for a judicial review if the plans push ahead.
The consultation runs until August 23.
