Cllr Keith Martin's Blog

Submission on proposed courthouse closures

Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:39 AM PST

Mayo is the 3rd largest county in Ireland and it has a rising population. The removal of the courthouses of Achill, Westport, Swinford and Ballyhaunis would leave huge areas of the county and the population without access to a local courthouse.

The local courthouse like the local pub, shop, post office, Garda station and bank is one of the cornerstones of rural Irish life and has been since the legal system was established in this country.

It is accepted that justice must be done and must seen to be done and that justice delayed is justice denied I would contend that justice must, like governance, must also be as local as possible.

Court is a distressing place to those unfamiliar with it. They can also be intimidating places whether you are a defendant, plaintiff or a witness.

One of the main benefits of local courthouses such as Westport's is that the court takes place locally and an individual can rely on friends and family for support and does not have to add the stress and expense of travel and food onto an already overburdened individual.

Many people attending court must rely on public transport and its often illogical and inconvenient schedules to get to and from court.

When a crime is committed locally it is great to see that it is dealt with locally and that justice is not the prevue of some distant court but is actually executed locally.

If Achill court house is closed then local court users will have to make a 73km journey to Belmullet, which is the chosen alternative venue this is incredible unfair on a community who have already lost so much community infrastructure.

Courthouses are not just buildings; they are service centres, community features and symbols of justice, justice that is local and accessible.