Court closures announced
16 February 2016Following, and despite, responses to its consultation exercise the Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the following local courts will definitely close.
Lowestoft Magistrates Court, County Court & Family Court will close earliest, in Tranche 1 (Feb – Jul 2016).
In tranche 2 (Jul – Sep 2016) Bury St Edmunds Magistrates Court & Family Court, Bury St Edmunds Crown Court and King’s Lynn County Court & Family Court will shut.
Slightly further afield, the closure of St Albans County Court & Family Court is scheduled for tranche 3 (Oct – Dec 2016).
Finally, in tranche 4 (currently scheduled for Jan – Mar 2017), Colchester County Court & Family Court and Harlow Magistrates Court will close.
This will leave Norfolk with one County Court (Norwich), one Crown Court (Norwich – but with occasional longer trials held at King’s Lynn) and three Magistrates Courts (King’s Lynn, Norwich and Great Yarmouth).
Suffolk will be left with a single Magistrates Court (Ipswich), a single Crown Court (Ipswich) and two County Courts (Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds).
Essex (outside the M25) will be reduced to two County Courts (Chelmsford and Southend), three Crown Courts (Basildon, Chelmsford and Southend) and four Magistrates Courts (Basildon, Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend).
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