Last week I met with local Kirkcaldy solicitors and Victim Support over the changes being imposed on Kirkcaldy and Cupar Sheriff Courts by the Scottish Government. The changes will see the closure of Cupar Sheriff Court with trials moving to Dundee and jury trials no longer taking place in Kirkcaldy, with trials moving to Dunfermline. The move of all jury trials from Kirkcaldy to Dunfermline would see an increase in jury trials by 283%, leading to concerns about delays.

During the meeting we discussed the impacts these changes will have on access of justice for those within the Kingdom. Concerns raised included the potential for increases in delays, other concerns raised included the cost and travel implications for victims and jurors, the number of courts available and the failure for justice to be delivered locally.

Meeting with Kirkcaldy Law Society and Fife Victim Support has just reinforced how ill thought out these government proposals are. The Scottish Government should be making it easier for justice to be achieved, not harder. It will be the victims across the Kingdom who will lose out as they face the prospect of trials being delayed.

Justice should be delivered locally yet concerns are rightly being raised that by closing Cupar and moving jury trials from Kirkcaldy this will no longer be achieved. For example residents of Levenmouth would face a 3 hour round trip by public transport if called to give evidence or to form a jury in Dunfermline, this is not local justice in action.

The meetings took place just two days after SNP MSPs voted against a Labour motion calling on the Scottish Government to reconsider their proposals for court closures. It is disappointing to see certain SNP members promote their opposition to the closures in their local papers one day, then vote with the Government the next.

Sadly the Scottish Government seems determined to press ahead with these flawed proposals despite widespread opposition and the closures come after the Scottish Government cut the Scottish Court Service’s budget by £10.9 million over the next two years.