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Future of ‘smallest courthouse’ in Limavady being considered in wider estate review, says Naomi Long
Derry Journal
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25/02/2025
Future of ‘smallest courthouse’ in Limavady being considered in wider estate review, says Naomi Long
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00:00
Limavady Courthouse has been closed since March 2020, with its business currently transferred
00:04
to Coleraine. Prior to its closure, the building operated as a hearing centre and was open
00:09
for one day a week for the delivery of Manchester 8's court business. The Northern Ireland
00:14
Courts and Tribunals Estate Strategy, published in December 2023, provides a long-term framework
00:19
for investment over the next decade and beyond. To implement the strategy, Northern Ireland
00:24
Courts and Tribunals Service is using data and evidence to baseline the existing estate
00:28
against the agreed strategic outcomes, assess the adequacy of its buildings and, in the
00:34
context of the finite resources available, develop prioritised investment plans that
00:38
will be subject to public consultation as appropriate. The future use of Limavady Courthouse
00:43
forms part of that process.
00:45
I suppose one of my biggest concerns about courthouses across Northern Ireland is access
00:54
to justice primarily, but also the impact that it will have in rural areas in terms
01:00
of removing courthouses. As part of this review, will the Minister be looking at an impact
01:06
assessment to ensure that we take into account all the various aspects as to why not having
01:11
a courthouse is a good thing?
01:15
First of all, we have to make sure that courthouses are accessible in the most basic sense. Many
01:20
of them, unfortunately, are not fit for purpose. Many of the protections that we would wish
01:23
to put in place, for example, for vulnerable victims and witnesses, are not possible as
01:27
everybody enters through the one door at the front of the courthouse, so we are not able
01:31
to do the segregation that we would normally expect in some of our more recent purpose-built
01:35
facilities.
01:36
Limavady Courthouse is the smallest courthouse in our estate and, since 2002, has only heard
01:42
adult magistrate business. In 2023-24, only 476 cases were received by Limavady Magistrates
01:50
Court, and it has historically had the lowest business volumes in the court estate, which
01:54
is one of the reasons why it was previously only open a single day each week. However,
01:59
it is right to say that, as part of the decision-making process, access to justice will be one of
02:05
the crucial issues, but it has to be looked at in the round, including as to whether,
02:09
for example, we are able to be DDA compliant when it comes to access to the buildings,
02:14
as well as whether people live adjacent to them.
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