Mayor Slams Magistrates' Court Downgrade

Mayor Dave Hodgson has slammed the recent decision by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service to take away all criminal cases from Bedford Magistrates' Court, with only family court cases and potentially limited localy authority-related work remaining.

The decision is due to take effect from June this year. It was taken following a consultation which saw Mayor Dave, along with the vast majority of respondents, make clear his opposition to the move, which he said will be damaging to local justice and damaging to Bedford.

Commenting, Mayor Dave said: "As I made clear in my representations to the consultation last year, these plans will be extremely damaging. It will have extremely negative implications in the form of travel time, arrangements and costs for victims, witnesses and all participants in criminal cases across the area currently served by Bedford Magistrates' Court.'

"It will increase the likelihood of non-attendance and other issues associated with the distance that will be place between participants and the administration of justice.'

"The Magistrates' Court is a central feature in Bedford Town Centre, providing for the administration of justice locally and also providing a significant level of employment both directly and indirectly. Narrowing the role of the court so significantly to one site as part of a co-located family court raises real concerns about the Court's future, in addition to those severe concerns around the greater physical distance placed between local residents and access to justice in so many cases."