Local MP Kevin Foster has been at the forefront of a local campaign to save the services currently delivered from Torquay Magistrates' Court.
In addition to holding face-to-face meetings with Justice Ministers, Kevin also presented a petition of over 1,000 local signatures, calling for the services to be saved, on the floor of the House of Commons.
Kevin was disappointed with the Ministry of Justice's decision to close Torquay Magistrates' Court and has continued to lobby Ministers behind the scenes to keep local justice local.
In April, Kevin asked the Ministry for an update on local service provision. He has been informed that careful consideration was given to providing some local justice services out of Torquay Town Hall, but that a decision has now been taken that this will not proceed due to providing a secure video-link facility.
The Ministry of Justice has assured Kevin that they are now implementing policies which will mean fewer people physically need to go to a court. Where court users anticipate that they will experience problems in traveling to a further court (in our case, Newton Abbot Magistrates' Court, 7 miles away) the Courts have been instructed to consider applications to conduct their business by alternative means.
The Ministry of Justice has also confirmed to Kevin today that a local remote witness facility for vulnerable witnesses will be retained at Ashburton Police Public Protection Unit.
Kevin will be keeping the pressure up, in a bid to provide high quality local justice services for his constituents in Torbay.