WEST Devon Magistrates are fighting to keep justices in Okehampton following centralisation of criminal cases in the area at Tavistock.
It is feared that Okehampton Magistrates' Court could be on the hit-list in a rationalisation exercise forced upon the courts by Central Government.
Chairman of the West Devon Magistrates John Montgomery said: 'We are worried that Okehampton is being sidelined. Tavistock was under threat two years ago and now we are concerned that the justices may be taken from Okehampton.
'The courts are trying to find ways of saving money. The Lord Chancellor has ordered that millions of pounds must be saved on the administration of magistrates' courts.'
Mr Montgomery, who was due to put some 'common sense' proposals before the Chief Executive of the Justices as the Times went to press yesterday (Wednesday), said the main reason Tavistock had been chosen to hold all the first hearings for criminal cases was because it had police cells.
Under new changes implemented by the courts following a report commissioned by the Government to speed up justice, the majority of cases will be dealt with at the first hearing.
In other areas of the country where these changes have been implemented 60 per cent of cases are dealt with in this way.
Okehampton magistrates will deal with any cases in the Okehampton area which have been adjourned from Tavistock and will continue to sit for such matters such as driving offences and cases brought by Devon County Council Trading Standards.
But it is feared this could be the thin edge of the wedge for Okehampton.
'If the court is taken away from Okehampton all the users of the court are going to have to travel miles — the defendants, the solicitors, licensed premises owners — everyone,' added Mr Montgomery. 'Rural transport in this part of the world is not fantastic so there will inevitably be problems with getting people to court.
'More people will have to be picked up on warrants and it will increase costs and workload.
'This was one of the arguments put forward when we fought proposals to close Tavistock and Okehampton in particular has a lovely central position in Devon.
'What seems to be happening is that local justice is being taken away — the thing about having magistrates' courts in rural communities was so that local people could be dealt with by local people. The magistrates know the geography and the community in which they are asked to make a judgement.
'There is no doubt that things need to be speeded up. The system is currently very slow and bedraggled, he said.
'Tavistock and Okehampton have also in the past been served by two Crown Prosecution Services and two police areas and now they will be served by one so there will be an improvement in the administration.
'Nevertheless there is a lot of stuff that can be pushed Okehampton's way rather than taking it to other courts and we hope that by putting forward common sense proposals we can resolve this matter.'