Court closure will hit vulnerable hardest, says Kingston Federation of Residents (From Surrey Comet)

Court closure will hit vulnerable hardest, says Kingston Federation of Residents

7:00am Monday 9th August 2010 in

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The most vulnerable people in Kingston will be hit hardest by plans to close Kingston Magistrates’ Court, according to representatives of Kingston’s social housing tenants.

The Kingston Federation of Residents has written to Lord Chancellor Kenneth Clarke claiming many people on lower incomes would struggle to meet the additional costs of travelling to courts outside the borough.

A Government consultation document published on June 23 quotes return train fares of £3.80, £5.40 and £6.40 from Kingston to courts in Richmond, Wimbledon and Battersea respectively. These amounts, the federation said, would see people on benefits struggle at a time of Government cuts and hardship.

The group, which represents 6,500 people in social housing, feared some would be unable to attend court appearances, leaving them at risk of heavier punishment, while some friends and family would not be able to afford to travel with them to offer advice and support.

Derrick Johnson, chairman of the federation, said: “It’s tough on very vulnerable people for most the part. They are already going through a bad time and will go through even harder times. That’s not justice as I know it.

“I was brought up thinking British justice was the best there is, and now I am getting very disillusioned. If it’s just about money, where are we going these days? Surely there are thing that are too important to cut.”

Councillor Derek Osbourne, leader of Kingston Council, said it was an example of the Ministry of Justice not thinking through their proposals.

He said: “One of the whole points of local justice is so it does not put extra costs and time on police and victims as well as those people who find themselves before the bench.”

A spokesman for HM Court Service said: “The Lord Chancellor will take all views into account before making any decision on which courts ought to be closed and when.

“Most people who live and work in and around London are used to travelling regularly to access an array of public services. We need to balance the impact that additional journey distances might have with the infrequency with which most members of the public have to visit a court.”