Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Magistrates Courts

Tuesday 12 September 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael questioned the government on recent assessments of conditions at magistrates courts.
  • The government responded by announcing a capital investment of 220 million over two years to improve court conditions and accessibility.
  • Carmichael inquired about the urgency of addressing physical access issues for older and disabled individuals in magistrates courts.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem Orkney and Shetland
Justice & Courts
Context

There are concerns about the conditions in some magistrates courts, affecting user experience.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of conditions at magistrates courts?

Answer from Mike Freer

We have assessed the need to improve conditions in some magistrates courts. We are boosting capital investment by £220 million over the next two years to March 2025, focusing on enhancing court resilience and accessibility for frontline justice system users.

Answered
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Q2 Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem Orkney and Shetland
Justice & Courts Safeguarding & DBS
Context

Many older and disabled individuals face significant physical barriers when trying to access magistrates courts. The former police and crime commissioner used the term “not fit for purpose” to describe the situation.

Question

Do we not need more swift action than outlined by the Minister to remedy the problem of physical access to justice for older and disabled people through magistrates courts?

Answer from Mike Freer

We are addressing this issue by making reasonable adjustments where possible and prioritising substantial investment to make courts compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. We continue working on modernising new court buildings such as those in Blackpool and the City of London.

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