Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Magistrates Courts were (a) partially and (b) fully closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The table below shows the number of Magistrates’ Courts that were permanently closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region. The figures do not include integrations, where workload remained in the local area by transferring to a building in close proximity, or courts that are temporarily closed.
Region | Magistrates’ Courts closed |
London | 19 |
Midlands | 30 |
North East | 19 |
North West | 22 |
South East | 32 |
South West | 22 |
Wales | 21 |
There are multiple situations that can require a court to be closed to the public for a temporary period of time. Reasons include, but are not limited to, severe weather disruption, building issues and disrepair, loss of utilities, and in response to security concerns.
HMCTS does not hold central data covering all temporary closures.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many magistrates courts closed in each year since 2010.
Answered by Heidi Alexander - Secretary of State for Transport
The table below shows the number of Magistrates’ Courts that have permanently closed in each financial year (FY) since 2010/11. The figures do not include integrations, where workload remained in the local area by transferring to a building in close proximity, or courts that are temporarily closed.
Financial Year | Magistrates' Courts closed |
2010/11 | 1 |
2011/12 | 84 |
2012/13 | 5 |
2013/14 | 4 |
2014/15 | 5 |
2015/16 | 6 |
2016/17 | 40 |
2017/18 | 12 |
2018/19 | 4 |
2019/20 | 4 |
2020/21 | 0 |
2021/22 | 0 |
2022/23 | 0 |
2023/24 | 0 |
2024/25 | 0 |
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) closures of magistrates courts and (b) trends in the recruitment of magistrates on case capacity in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Mike Freer
The decision to close any court only happens following full public consultation, and only when effective access to justice can be maintained. Courts that have closed were either underused, dilapidated or too close to another existing HMCTS location in the same local area.
In recent years there has been considerable recruitment of magistrates in Greater Manchester, both for the Adult Court and the Family Court, and current magistrate numbers are sufficient to manage the volume of work in Greater Manchester.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of open magistrates courts in Lancashire.
Answered by Mike Freer
Both Preston and Blackpool magistrates’ courts are temporarily closed in response to professional assessments about the safety of RAAC in those court buildings. I am however confident that there are sufficient open courts in Lancashire to list cases that have been displaced as a result of these temporary closures and I am grateful to judiciary and all those involved in putting in place these temporary arrangements.
We will be investing £220m in the two years to March 2025 to improve the overall quality and enhance the resilience of the court and tribunal estate and ensure that those buildings most in need of investment get it.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Streatham and Croydon North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) magistrates’ courts, (b) county courts, (c) dedicated tribunal buildings, (d) family courts and (e) crown courts have closed since 2010.
Answered by Mike Freer
Since 2010, the following courts and tribunals have closed according to jurisdictional type:
Court and tribunal closures since 2010 by jurisdiction | |||
Magistrates* | County | Tribunals | Crown** |
163 | 68 | 5 | 8 |
*Includes 12 magistrates’ courts that were co-located with a county court.
**Includes 4 Crown Courts that were co-located with another jurisdiction.
Our court closure data is categorised by the jurisdictions as shown in the table above, we are not able to categorise courts that heard, or were considered capable of conducting Family hearings.
The decision to close any court is not taken lightly, it only happens following full public consultation and only where sufficient capacity existed in other nearby courts to accommodate the work of the closing courts, and where suitable facilities are available. Courts that have closed were either underused, dilapidated or too close to one another.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Streatham and Croydon North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2022, to Question 121764, on Courts: Closures, if he will publish (a) figures for the sale proceeds for each of those 164 sales and (b) details of to whom each property was sold.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The courts sales proceeds for each of the courts sold by HMCTS since 2010 is shown below. Purchaser information was published in PQ 132501 for the period 2010/11 to 2017/18, however, HMCTS does not hold this information from the 2018/19 financial year onwards.
Since 2015, sale proceeds totalling £211m have been reinvested in the HMCTS reform programme, to transform the justice system, including introducing 21st century technology and online services to increase access to justice and improve efficiency.
The decision to close any court is not taken lightly. It only happens following full public consultation and only when effective access to justice can be maintained.
As part of the Spending Review, we are investing £477 million in the Criminal Justice System over the next three years to help reduce the backlog further and deliver the swift access to justice that victims deserve.
Court | Sales Proceeds (£) |
Aberdare Magistrates' Court | 275,000 |
Abergavenny Magistrates' Court | 460,000 |
Abertillery Magistrates' Court | 81,000 |
Acton Magistrates' Court | 1,176,665 |
Alnwick Magistrates' Court | 20,000 |
Alton Magistrates’ Court | 908,310 |
Ammanford Magistrates' Court | 90,000 |
Andover Magistrates' Court | 537,500 |
Ashford Magistrates' Court | 375,000 |
Balham Magistrates' Youth Court | 2,000,000 |
Banbury Magistrates’ and County Court | 1,275,000 |
Barking & Dagenham Magistrates' Court | 505,000 |
Barry Magistrates' Court | 250,000 |
Batley & Dewsbury Magistrates' Court | 300,000 |
Bicester Magistrates' Court | 1,270,000 |
Bingley (Keighley) Magistrates' Court | 253,310 |
Birmingham Magistrates' Youth Court | 1,350,000 |
Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court | 150,000 |
Blackfriars Crown Court | 64,258,161 |
Blandford Forum Magistrates' Court | 175,000 |
Blaydon Magistrates' Court | 144,990 |
Bournemouth Magistrates' Court | 1,920,299 |
Bow County Court | 3,500,000 |
Bracknell Magistrates’ Court | 1,000,001 |
Brecon Law Courts Magistrates' | 575,000 |
Brentford Magistrates' Court | 650,000 |
Bridgend Law Courts Magistrates' | 375,000 |
Bridgwater Magistrates' Court | 167,652 |
Burton Upon Trent County Court | 185,000 |
Burton upon Trent Magistrates' Court | 240,000 |
Bury Magistrates' & County Court | 400,000 |
Bury St Edmunds Crown & Magistrates' Court | 1,050,000 |
Caerphilly Magistrates' Court | 445,000 |
Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court | 13,492,500 |
Camborne Magistrates' Court | 137,500 |
Cardigan Magistrates' Court | 48,910 |
Carmarthen Law Courts (The Guildhall) Magistrates' | 223,000 |
Chesterfield County Court | 20,000 |
Chester-le-Street Magistrates' Court | 100,000 |
Chippenham Magistrates' & Civil Court | 2,500,000 |
Cirencester Magistrates' Court | 450,000 |
Coalville Magistrates' Court | 245,000 |
Coleford Magistrates' Court | 170,000 |
Consett County Court | 81,265 |
Consett Magistrates' Court | 225,000 |
Corby Magistrates' Court | 140,000 |
Cromer Magistrates' Court | 325,000 |
Dartford Magistrates' Court | 1,000,000 |
Daventry Magistrates' Court | 140,000 |
Denbigh Magistrates' Court | 165,000 |
Dewsbury County Court | 276,000 |
Didcot Magistrates' Court | 400,000 |
Dolgellau Crown & Magistrates' Court | 67,509 |
Doncaster County Court | 270,000 |
Dover Magistrates' Court | 350,000 |
Eastbourne Magistrates' & County Court | 805,000 |
Epping Magistrates' Court | 750,000 |
Ely Magistrates Court | 1 |
Fareham Magistrates' Court | 1,150,000 |
Feltham Magistrates' Court | 2,150,000 |
Flint Magistrates' Court | 87,500 |
Frome Magistrates' Court | 397,666 |
Goole Magistrates' Court | 60,000 |
Gosforth Magistrates' Court | 378,000 |
Grantham County Court | 112,000 |
Grantham Magistrates' Court | 560,000 |
Gravesend County Court | 100,000 |
Grays Magistrates' Court | 365,475 |
Greenwich Magistrates' Court | 12,005,000 |
Guisborough (East Langbaurgh) Magistrates' Court | 275,000 |
Halesowen Magistrates' Court | 314,250 |
Halifax County & Magistrates’ Court | 750,000 |
Hammersmith Magistrates' Court | 43,000,000 |
Haringey Magistrates' Court | 10,100,000 |
Harrow Magistrates' Court | 1,125,000 |
Hemel Hempstead Magistrates' Court | 650,000 |
Hinckley Magistrates' Court | 800,000 |
Holyhead Magistrates' Court | 112,500 |
Honiton Magistrates' Court | 183,000 |
Houghton-Le-Spring Magistrates' Court | 90,000 |
Ilford County Court | 1,313,013 |
Ilkeston Magistrates' Court | 610,000 |
Keighley County Court | 130,000 |
Kendal Magistrates' & County Court | 720,000 |
Kettering County Court | 200,000 |
Kettering Magistrates' Court | 187,500 |
Knowsley Magistrates' Court | 250,000 |
Knutsford Crown Court | 1,600,000 |
Lewes Magistrates' Court | 1,900,000 |
Liskeard Magistrates' Court | 380,000 |
Llangefni Civil and Family Court | 72,000 |
Llwynypia Magistrates' Court | 471,010 |
Lowestoft Magistrates' Court | 150,000 |
Lyndhurst Magistrates' Court | 900,000 |
Macclesfield Magistrates' Court | 385,000 |
Maidenhead Magistrates’ Court | 1,900,000 |
Market Drayton Magistrates' Court | 100,000 |
Market Harborough Magistrates' Court | 291,500 |
Melton Mowbray Magistrates' Court | 147,000 |
Mid-Sussex (Haywards Heath) Magistrates' Court | 2,105,000 |
Neath and Port Talbot Civil and Family Court | 250,000 |
Neath Magistrates’ Court | 450,000 |
Newark Magistrates' Court | 405,000 |
Northallerton Magistrates' Court | 450,000 |
Northwich Magistrates' Court | 260,000 |
Oldham Magistrates' Court | 650,000 |
Ormskirk Magistrates' Court | 250,000 |
Oswestry Magistrates' Court | 110,602 |
Penrith Magistrates' Court | 174,600 |
Penzance County Court | 230,000 |
Pontefract Magistrates' Court | 205,000 |
Pontypool County Court | 200,000 |
Pontypridd Magistrates' Court | 350,000 |
Pwllheli Magistrates' Court | 131,013 |
Rawtenstall Magistrates' Court | 135,000 |
Redditch County Court | 345,000 |
Redhill Magistrates' & Reigate County Court | 6,550,000 |
Retford Magistrates' Court | 151,000 |
Rhyl County Court | 92,150 |
Richmond-upon-Thames Magistrates' Court | 9,838,000 |
Rochdale Magistrates Court | 330,000 |
Rugby Magistrates' Court | 285,000 |
Runcorn (Halton) Magistrates' Court | 200,000 |
Salford Magistrates' Court | 544,000 |
Sandwell Magistrates' Court | 530,000 |
Selby Magistrates' Court | 200,000 |
Sittingbourne Magistrates' Court | 430,000 |
Skegness Magistrates' Court | 150,000 |
Solihull Magistrates' Court | 4,312,000 |
Southport (North Sefton) Magistrates' Court | 304,000 |
Spalding Magistrates’ Court | 270,430 |
Stafford Magistrates' Court | 435,000 |
Stoke on Trent Magistrates' Court | 186,000 |
Stourbridge County Court | 345,000 |
Sudbury Magistrates' Court | 112,000 |
Sunderland County Court | 326,000 |
Sutton Coldfield Magistrates' Court | 440,000 |
Sutton Magistrates' Court | 2,247,000 |
Swaffham Magistrates' Court | 155,000 |
Tamworth Magistrates' & County Court | 437,500 |
Thetford Magistrates' Court | 231,550 |
Torquay Magistrates' Court | 450,000 |
Totnes Magistrates' Court | 237,000 |
Tottenham Magistrates' Court | 4,570,000 |
Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court | 8,525,000 |
Trafford Magistrates' Court & Altrincham County Court | 3,235,000 |
Tynedale (Hexham) Magistrates' Court | 102,500 |
Wakefield & Pontefract Magistrates' Court | 360,000 |
Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court | 3,471,040 |
Wantage Magistrates’ Court | 657,000 |
Watford Magistrates' Court | 3,836,000 |
West Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates' Court | 1,000,000 |
West Bromwich Magistrates' Court | 160,000 |
Weston-Super-Mare Magistrates' Court | 116,078 |
Whitehaven Magistrates' Court | 200,000 |
Wimborne Magistrates' Court | 310,000 |
Wisbech Magistrates' Court | 151,350 |
Witney Magistrates' Court | 330,000 |
Woking Magistrates' Court | 1,050,000 |
Woolwich County Court | 2,555,000 |
Woolwich Magistrates' Court | 335,000 |
Worksop County Court | 151,335 |
Worksop Magistrates' Court | 115,000 |
Yate (North Avon) Magistrates' Court | 1,350,000 |
| 264,287,135 |
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many closed magistrates' courts have not yet been repurposed for another use.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
HMCTS does not hold information about the current use of courts that it has sold.
Of the seven former magistrates’ court buildings which have been closed and are still owned by HMCTS, one is in use as a Nightingale Court and two have sales due to complete in April 2022. The remaining sites are in the process of being sold.
The decision to close any court is not taken lightly. It only happens following full public consultation and only when effective access to justice can be maintained. Courts that have closed were either underused, dilapidated or too close to one another.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many closed magistrates' courts has his Department considered using as Nightingale courts.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
HMCTS considered over 20 former magistrates’ court buildings for potential use as temporary Nightingale courts. These were courts which either HMCTS still owned, or where the new owners had not yet redeveloped the building.
Social distancing rules severely restricted our ability to carry out face-to-face hearings. In response, one of our recovery measures was to establish Nightingale courts that could meet social distancing requirements. Nightingale courts have proven to be essential to supporting the justice system throughout the pandemic.
Nightingale courts are large courts, designed to operate with safe social distancing in place. Few, if any, of our former magistrates’ courts were large enough to meet this requirement. Nightingale courts have been set up in locations where there is an operational need, with a particular focus on enabling Crown Court jury trials to maximise our recovery plans. Very few former magistrates’ courts were able to meet our requirements and would have required significant investment and time to complete the necessary works before the court could become operational.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the closure of magistrates' courts on the court backlog.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The decision to close any court is not taken lightly. It only happens following full public consultation and only where sufficient capacity exists in other nearby courts to accommodate the work of the closing courts. Courts that have closed were either underused, dilapidated or too close to one another.
The magistrates’ courts have made excellent progress in responding to the pandemic. The measures that we have put in place as part of our 5-Point Plan have already produced results, with the outstanding caseload having fallen from c.436,000 in June 2020 to c.364,000 in September 2021 - a reduction of 17%. Where additional accommodation has been required in order to assist recovery, we have utilised Nightingale Courts – four temporary Nightingale magistrates’ courtrooms were opened during the pandemic.
The settlement in the recent Spending Review, which includes 477m for the criminal justice system, will help it to meet the increased demand from the additional police officers and to recover performance following the pandemic. Analysis suggests this new investment could both improve waiting times and significantly reduce the number of outstanding cases by the end of the spending review period, ensuring that we do right by victims of crime.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of court closures on victims during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Alex Chalk
In response to COVID-19, HMCTS temporarily closed around half of its buildings to focus effort and resources more effectively, and the most urgent cases were prioritised by the judiciary to ensure public safety, protect the vulnerable and safeguard children. 74 out of 81 Crown Court buildings have now resumed jury trials, alongside two other existing court sites and four Nightingale Courts. 152 out of 155 magistrates’ courts are now open.
Early on in the pandemic, MoJ mobilised a multi-agency Victim and Witness Silver Command Group, to ensure criminal justice system wide awareness of the issues affecting victims during COVID-19, and to monitor and respond to victim related issues that might arise.
In response to COVID-19, HMCTS has also accelerated the rollout of the Section 28 (pre-recorded cross examination) service and is now on track to complete national roll out of this service to all Crown Courts by the end of November.