7:30am Tuesday 17th August 2010
By Martin George
Closing Kingston Magistrates' Court would be an "even greater danger to justice" than previously thought according to Edward Davey MP, after new figures showed it is one of the most efficient courts in London.
The data, obtained by the Surrey Comet under the Freedom of Information Act, shows Kingston takes four weeks to complete cases, the third lowest in the capital and well below the London average of seven weeks.
In contrast, courts in Wimbledon, Richmond and Battersea, which would take on Kingston’s workload, take six to eight weeks.
David Mulholland, bench chairman of Kingston Magistrates' Court, said: "From the defendant and the witnesses' points of view, it means they are not left waiting for weeks and weeks.
"There’s all that stress and worry going on all the time, particularly when it’s a victim of violence. Us turning things around quickly means they can get their closure very quickly.
"[Transferring cases] would mean people having to wait much longer, with all the increase in stress and worry. We are concerned about the victims and witnesses of crimes, not just the defendants. We are very concerned about what impact this would have on local people."
The Court Service said while Kingston performed well on this measure, this was largely due to the type of cases it receives.
A spokeman said: "The court is considerably aided in achieving this by the relatively low number of offences which are charged and bailed to appear at court, as compared to summonsed.
"Some of the other courts currently have delays in the time intervals between charge and first appearance at court, and this is now being addressed.
"When this initial period is taken into account, the periods would be more comparable."
However, some Kingston magistrates instead cited the court’s close proximity to the probation service and solicitors, which allows their staff quick access to offices to get additional information for magistrates, as a key factor in Kingston’s efficiency.
Mr Mulholland said the court’s efficiency had even been recognised by the courts service, which had used Kingston to pilot the Libra computer system now used by magistrates’ courts, although the court service said this was due to low workload.
The Court Service said it has considered the "inadequate" cell provision at Kingston and its 61.7 per cent utilisation rate, which is below the national aspiration of 80 per cent, before proposing the closure.
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