A LAST-ditch attempt to save Tavistock Magistrates' Court from closure is likely to be set in motion by Devon County Council next week.
A three-line Liberal Democrat whip to support an appeal against the shutdown will be made by the county's executive committee.
County council vice-chairman Roy Cook, of Mary Tavy, told the Times there was all-party backing for an appeal and that he had not heard 'any dissent from anybody'.
Twelve out of 19 courthouses in Devon and Cornwall are being proposed for closure by the two counties' magistrates' courts committee.
A report on the proposal is to go before the county executive committee on Tuesday and it looks likely members will recommend a move to save the 12 courthouses.
Cllr Cook believes the closure of the town's court could bring into question 'the human rights issues'.
He said: 'I am appalled at the proposal to close Tavistock Magistrates' Court and the one year reprieve for Okehampton's. If they go, they will leave one great big black hole from Bodmin to Barnstaple and from Exeter to Plymouth.
'This vast rural area, with no decent public transport system, will have no court and people will have to travel miles to get to a court.
'Potentially, this will deny the rural areas of natural justice and I think this brings into question a human rights issue.'
But there was a big question mark over the Tavistock court, said Cllr Cook.
'The tricky one is Tavistock because of the lack of disabled access,' he said. 'The building is listed and this is a barrier English Heritage might put up if we were to try and alter it.'
The county's fightback has delighted the MP for West Devon and Torridge, John Burnett, who has campaigned hard to safeguard the courthouses since the Government's cost cutting announcement last year.
'There will be a three-line whip of the Liberal Democrats to make sure the appeal goes forward,' said Mr Burnett.
'To date the Government has not put forward a sensible plan to replace our magistrates' courts.
'The Government commissioned a report on the cost-effectiveness of courthouse closures. There seems to be a secret agenda to down play the importance of lay magistracy and this is a great mistake.'
Last month, Mr Burnett took part in a late-night Commons debate on the problems of funding for magistrates' courts when he stressed the particular difficulties faced by sparsely populated counties such as Devon and Cornwall, describing them as 'special cases'.
'Courts are located many miles from each other, roads are poor and public transport is scarce or non-existent,' he said. 'Tavistock serves a large rural area and the closure would deny justice to many people. Getting to Plymouth involves an extremely time consuming journey.
'We have in rural towns a high calibre of magistrates that we can easily access and we could lose that experience. And we are also taking Plymouth's overflow — so how can it absorb our cases?'
'Costs borne by witnesses, court users and police will far outweigh any meagre savings by the Lord Chancellor's department.
'The Government's arguments are deeply flawed and shortsighted.'
A report will go before the executive committee on May 30 and the council has 28 days from May 17 in which to lodge its appeal.