Stomont’s Justice Committee Chairperson has commended the Minister for reversing the decision taken by the previous Minister to close a number of Courthouses.
DUP MLA Paul Frew stated ” Since coming into post I have worked closely with the Justice Minister on a large number of issues, this being one of them . As a Constituency MLA and as a member of the Justice Committee, I continuously fought hard against the closure of Courthouses. The public would expect no less as these are a vital service within many of our towns.
I congratulate the Minister for taking this strong move to reverse the decision of the previous Minister, which I believe is a correct one.
I would urge the Minister to look at the way in which the Court estate can be used more effectively going forward, as well as bringing in new ways of innovation to assist in the whole legal system.
I would ask her to consider problem solving courts to help deal with various aspects of Justice whether it be Family, Drug and Alcohol Courts or Traffic offences to complement the work already being done in the Domestic Violence Court in Londonderry.
I am absolutely delighted that towns like Ballymena will continue to have a local Courthouse. It was an access to justice issue and I’m glad that the threat of closure and job losses has now been lifted.”