News in the UK: Court Closings

The Justice Minister, Jonathan Djanogly, revealed to the public that the government will be shutting down 93 magistrates’ courts and 49 county courts in the United Kingdom in an effort to reduce the government’s deficit. According to the BBC article, “15m Euros per year in running costs, plus an extra 22m Euros in maintaining the buildings” will be saved should the selected courts close. While having less courts will prove to be an inconvenience to citizens, 85% of people (down from 90%) would still be able to reach a court within an hour by taking public transportation, according to Djanogly. The Labour Party, however, disagrees with the closing of the courts. Shadow justice minister Andrew Slaughter claims that courts are as important as police stations and town halls, and that it is not right to inconvenience citizens for a “crude, cost-cutting exercise.” Slaughter’s claim comes from the fact that county courts deal with issues such as divorces, business cases, accident claims, and small claims; all of which are fairly common among the average population. While the Labour Party is against reducing the deficit in such manners, Djanogly stands by the decision, arguing that with changes to the court system, a “better, more efficient and more modern” system will emerge.

Considering that only 5% less citizens wouldn’t be able to reach a court within an hour using public transportation, I think that cutting the deficit by closing some courts is a necessary measure to take. The United Kingdom is clearly having issues with their spending, and the citizens are not happy with the cuts, as shown by the student protests. While cutting public services is something that people wouldn’t want, it is necessary if the UK economy is to be saved. The UK doesn’t have an infinite amount of money, and the out-of-control spending is going to have to be cut somewhere, which, in this case, includes some courts that aren’t used as much. While it is good politically for the Labour Party to be against these spending cuts, economically it is bad for the UK. If the Labour Party is going to take a stance against closing some courts, then they’re going to need to propose a better plan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11993436