Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell has expressed his disappointment and anger that once again the SNP have ignored local people and the south of Scotland and pushed through controversial court closure plans.
The closure of a fifth of Scotland’s sheriff courts, and a number of JP courts, was rubber stamped after SNP members of the justice committee sided with their party whips instead of the communities they represent.
Despite a letter of protest signed by the three leaders of Holyrood’s opposition parties, all nationalist members voted together and rejected calls to keep the courts open.
It means more than 10,000 cases a year across Scotland will have to be squeezed into the schedule of those remaining courts.
It is also the final nail in the coffin for campaigners hoping to save sheriff courts in towns such as Cupar, Duns, Stonehaven and Peebles, as well as the JP court in Annan.
Ten sheriff courts and 13 Justice of the Peace courts will now shut their doors, with warnings from experts that this will set a precedent for even more closures once the SNP sets up their “justice centres” in areas of Scotland.
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell said “Local people have been badly let down by democracy and I am quite certain that local justice will suffer as a consequence of this decision.
“The SNP members today had a chance to stand up for their communities, but instead took the cowardly way out to ensure they didn’t upset Alex Salmond. This is a damaging decision, and one that we will soon see is a mistake.
“This Justice Committee had the opportunity to send the message that court users, victims and witnesses of crime and our small towns are worth standing up for. The Scottish Government has sought to downplay the impact of these proposals, stating they will affect only 5% of cases. However, this 5% represents a substantial 12,500 criminal and civil cases.
“Courts already over-burdened with work will have to take on even more cases, and that will risk lengthy delays to sensitive and significant cases.
“Witnesses and victims who find themselves involved in the justice system through no fault of their own will also be inconvenienced by longer and more awkward journeys. This decision just proves the Scottish Government isn’t serious about crime, and is yet more evidence of its soft-touch agenda.”
“Sadly today (Tuesday) the SNP members of the Justice Committee did not defy their party and stand up for their constituents, instead opting to protect the SNP Government from a fully democratic Parliamentary debate. It also saddens me that Christine Graham and her colleagues decided to blindly follow voting instructions and would not back up their words with action. They have put party interests first, and local people second,”