Written Question·Ministry of Justice·UIN 105377

Magistrates' Courts

Tabled: 13 January 2026
Answered: 23 January 2026

Question

Lee Anderson

Reform UKAshfield

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to reopen local magistrate courts that have been closed to help clear the court case backlog.

Answer

Sarah Sackman
50% of magistrates’ courts were closed under previous Governments between 2010 and 2020.Estate capacity is not a limiting factor to sitting the funded days in the magistrates courts. In other words, we are investing in more court staff, legal aid and judg...

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