Opportunity to save courts and buildings

Along with my fellow Bolton solicitors, other users of the Court, and the rest of the public of Bolton, I view with great concern the proposals by the Greater Manchester Magistrates Court Committee to close the Bolton Magistrates Court.

It is true that the Court has had its problems over the years. These included not having enough court rooms for the number of cases it hears, solicitors having to interview clients in public in the court corridor, and inadequate security.

The court staff did their best to alleviate these and other problems, but it became hard to avoid the conclusion that the present court building had reached the end of its useful life.

Various proposals to relocate and/or extend the court buildings have been made in recent years, but have come to nothing. Now Legal Practitioners, court users and the people of Bolton face the prospect of having no Magistrates Court at all, and Bolton cases being transferred to Bury, Manchester or, even worse, to Trafford.

Anyone who has had to travel to any of these towns to arrive there for 9.30am will know what a major inconvenience everyone will face.

Magistrates Courts not only deal with crime, but also a myriad of other work, such as family cases, liquor and gaming licensing, non payment of fines and health and safety cases.

One of the great strengths of the Magistrates Court system, is that justice is dispensed by Magistrates who live and work in the area. How therefore can Magistrates from Trafford be expected to decide a liquor licensing case involving premises in Chorley Old Road, Bolton?

We at Bolton Law Society are so concerned about the proposed closure that we have formed a special committee of four experienced solicitors who practice regularly in the Magistrates Courts. A public meeting will be called, and, following that meeting, Society members will draft a detailed response to the consultation document prepared by the GMMCC.

In fact the GMMCC have a great opportunity to modernise and extend the existing building, as the old Central Police Station next door in Howell Croft North is scheduled to close when the police move out to Burnden. This would have the added bonus that the entire North side of the Civic Centre would not become empty, or be put to an inappropriate use. The more spacious and refurbished combined building would be adequate for those using what is (apart from Manchester) the busiest Magistrates Court in the Greater Manchester area, and what a major town with a population of over a quarter of a million needs and requires from the Court system.

Roger Gillies

President, Bolton

Incorporated Law Society

Wood Street, Bolton