Courthouse and custody suite closures have affected access to justice senior lawyer tells MLAs

Darren Toombs, Law Society President, told a meeting of the Stormont Justice Committee that the closures in Limavady have had major implications.

Mr. Toombs said this was brought home to him at a recent Limavady Solicitors Association dinner.

"There are about 11 or 12 solicitors in that association; it is a small association. Their court was closed over COVID. It remains closed; they are not sure whether it will open. Their local custody suites are closed.

"They cannot bring young, trainee solicitors into the town because they cannot afford to bring them into small firms and train them. The last trainee that they had is, I think, seven or eight years qualified, and one of them is a principal in his own firm, which he has taken over from his father.

"Forget about lawyers' pay; this is not just about that. We have a court that is closed a local court. We have a custody suite that is closed — a local custody suite,” he advised MLAs.

Mr. Toombs said the lack of a local custody suite means that when a solicitor is phoned for they have to drive for 45 minutes to meet with a client.

"Police officers' time is tied up, waiting for the solicitor to come from maybe 45 or 50 minutes away instead of maybe even being able to walk to the local custody suite,” he said.

Victims and those accused of having committed offences have also been disenfranchised as a result, MLAs were told.

“Most of the people who appear in petty sessions do not have their own car. They are reliant on public transport or taxis to get there. If you look at Belfast petty sessions, you see that most people who come to them walk in.

"People have to go to Coleraine or Derry or go further afield, so people do not turn up for court because, maybe, they do not have the money to turn up. What sometimes happens if you do not turn up for court?

"An arrest warrant is put out for you. Someone has ended up getting arrested simply because they cannot afford to get to court.”

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