New Centre Will Speed Up Justice
10 Mar 2005
The £13m Warwickshire Justice Centre, which puts local justice under one roof, makes it easier for agencies to work together and exchange information more efficiently.
Victims and witnesses of crime will benefit from improved facilities, with separate waiting rooms in the magistrates' courts and support services available nearby.
The centre is the first in England and Wales to house in one place the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, a magistrates' court, a family court, the Probation Service, the Youth Offending Team and the Victim and Witness Support. It will provide valuable lessons that can be applied in other areas across England and Wales.
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said:
"I am very pleased that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has today opened this unique Justice Centre. This centre exemplifies magistrates and their colleagues in the wider justice system working side-by-side to improve services to the public. The Warwickshire centre shows the Government's commitment to delivering quick and appropriate justice, reducing crime and improving the public's confidence in the courts."
Quoting a recent success of the Centre he explained:
"The in-house magistrates' court recently issued a fine to a defendant who did not have a permanent address. When he didn't pay the fine an arrest warrant was issued. The court was able to get the address from an adjoining probation officer and take the warrant to the police within minutes.
"Victims and witnesses of crime will benefit through faster case progression, giving them more confidence in the system. Victim Support offices, probation services and rehabilitation programmes will also be available at the centre.
"The four magistrates' courtrooms have separate entrances and waiting rooms for prosecution and defence witnesses to make certain there is no chance of witness intimidation."
Lord Falconer also announced that the Centre's magistrates' court had reaped the benefits of working closely with other agencies and had the smallest number of ineffective trials in England and Wales.
He added:
"The local magistrates' court lead the country in trial efficiency. In January this year, ineffective trials accounted for only 7.7 per cent of the total caseload, against a national average of 23.1 per cent and well ahead of the Government's target.
"This efficiency is a direct result of people working together as a team and collaborating their resources. Warwickshire Justice Centre will enhance these close relationships and will lead to better service all round for the local residents."
Kelvin Launchbury, Warwickshire's Area Director for Her Majesty's Courts Service, said:
"Warwickshire Justice Centre makes it easy for people to get the services they need quickly. Having the services under one roof means people spend less time in pursuit of justice."