I WRITE to object to the closure of Bolton Magistrates Court.
I suggest that the closure would have the effect of depriving the local subjects of Her Majesty, and UN and EU citizens of their right to a fair trial in the UK, and, in particular, in the Bolton area.
This is because the distances to travel, local circumstances, lack of local knowledge, would be prejudicial to the proper fair hearing of these particular case and justice.
Therefore, I suggest that Bolton MBC should notify the secretariat to the European Commission of Human Rights, Strasbourg 67007, France, of this proposal, and ask if the Commission would consider approaching the goverrnment in the UK to point out that convictions by a court remote from a citizen's locale (because of saving costs, centralisation etc) may be if submitted on appeal of the European Court of Human Rights, be found to be depriving the citizen of his/her rights, under the above Treaties and the UK's own Act, Article 6 to a fair trial.
The Home office Study Guide pages 15, 16 and 17 sets out in detail and attempts to ensure fairness. This proposal (ie closure of a local court in an area of 250,000 persons) I suggest holds in contempt those provisions ie 3.47 to 3.65 inclusive, and I personally feel if an appeal went to Strasbourg against a conviction because of a remote court lacking local knowledge, it would likely be successful, ie held to be unacceptable in law.
I am sure the Lord Chancellor would not want such a situation to materialise.
George Kelly
Albert Road West
Heaton, Bolton
( Ref: HO Study Guide HR62.10/2000 HO Communications Directorate)
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