Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Aldous Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

The hon. Gentleman makes some characteristically effective points, and of course I was listening very carefully.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

11. What progress he has made on reform of the courts system.

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Michael Gove)]

Thanks to the leadership shown by our judiciary—in particular, by Sir Brian Leveson—we are now in a position to reform access to justice comprehensively.

[Peter Aldous]

I am grateful to the Secretary of State for that answer. Lowestoft magistrates court plays an important role in providing local access to justice in north-east Suffolk. Will he meet local users and me to agree on the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the court continues to play that role into the long term?

[Michael Gove]

I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend and those who have benefited from the administration of justice in the part of Suffolk he represents, but it is important to recognise that a third of our courts and tribunals are used less than 50% of the time. We do need to reform our court estate, but we can do so and improve access to justice by taking a 21st-century approach to ensuring that justice is served.