Plans to close courts across the UK could see suspects failing to turn up for hearings, report warns

Plans to close courts across the UK could see suspects failing to turn up for hearings, the public accounts committee has warned. 

In a report MPs suggest that the ambitious £1.2bn overhaul of the court system could have "unforeseen consequences for taxpayers, service users and justice more widely".

In particular widespread court closures, which are set to reduce the number of court and tribunal buildings from 530 buildings in 2010 to 339, could increase the burden on police who are forced to round up defendants who have failed to appear because their nearest court was now too far away. 

Meg Hillier

"Court closures could also lead to a rise in missed court appointments and may contribute to higher costs for the public purse for example costs associated with rescheduling hearings, wasted court time and having to arrest or detain defendants who fail to attend court," the report said. 

It added that national charity Transform Justice had said local court closures had led to a rise in people failing to appear, thought Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service had said any change was not "statistically significant". 

Meg Hillier MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: "Government has cut corners in its rush to push through these reforms. The timetable was unrealistic, consultation has been inadequate and, even now, HMCTS has not clearly explained what the changes will mean in practice.

"Our report recommends action to address these failings. But even if this programme, or a version of it, gets back on track I have serious concerns about its unforeseen consequences for taxpayers, service users and justice more widely."

The programme has also raised the possibility of "pop-up courts" taking place in buildings normally for other uses, including in Chichester, where the combined court was closed in 2015 and plans to hold hearings in local council offices were now being considered. 

The reforms also suggest a wider use of video links for hearings, allowing defendants to participate in a case from prison.

The committee raised concerns that this could increase levels of unconscious bias and cited research suggesting that people appearing remotely were more likely to receive a prison sentence or be deported.