Save Kingston's Family Panel

Local courts essential

Having courts near where you live may not seem that important. Most of us rarely if ever use the courts. Yet when you’re in a crisis, a local court can be vital.

If you’re a victim of crime, you don’t want to travel miles. If you’re a police officer, social worker or solicitor, longer journeys to court hike the cost to the taxpayer and hinder your work.

Magistrates' courts saved, but now the bad news.......

So when the community saved Kingston’s magistrates’ courts from closure, it was good news for victims, police and taxpayers.

Yet the bad news is we now have a totally new battle to save another type of court - our local panel, designed specially for families.

Think of a family in crisis – perhaps faced with their child being taken into care: the idea of a long journey, to a strange place, may make the court ordeal simply unbearable.

Proposed family courts all in North London

Yet the Government is now proposing that any family in crisis, anywhere from the whole of south London, must go to special family courts in north London.

Not because this saves money. It won’t. But because they think it will be better for the families. How many families have they asked? None. You can read their plan in the library or at www.glmca.org.uk

Please help stop this nonsense. Fill in the petition below – or email the bureaucrats direct at strat.response@glmca.mcs.gsi.gov.uk.

Thank you.