CONTROVERSIAL plans to move serious court cases from Vale Royal have been put on hold.

A 12-month backlog of trials in Cheshire forced Her Majesty's Court Service to reconsider where certain cases should be heard. The alterations were suggested to cope with a 20% increase in workload created by a large rise in the number of offenders brought to justice over the last year.

Plans included moving 'custody cases' - those with potential prison sentences - away from Vale Royal Magistrates Court in Northwich to Chester instead. But they have been blocked after magistrates expressed their concerns and the area director proposing the changes was replaced. The new man at the helm, Shaun McNally, has provisionally halted any changes, but says a review is ongoing.

Vale Royal bench chairman Clive Waring said: 'Custody cases will continue at Vale Royal Magistrates Court for the time being. The new area director has heard the concerns of magistrates and our major concern - the loss of custody cases - has been stopped, albeit pending further reviews.'

However, one of the original proposals - to move hearings for all motoring offences from across the county to Northwich - is still likely to go ahead, though Mr Waring denies this will lead to an even bigger backlog of cases.

He said: 'Yes, it will make us busier but the backlog isn't a major issue in Vale Royal so I don't think moving traffic offences here will cause a big problem at the moment.'

Vale Royal magistrate Pam Booher said: 'The views of the magistrates have been supported and it's good news. We have to think about the court users and the extra time and money it would cost them to get over to Chester.

'At least we know that our concerns have been listened to and I and magistrates across Vale Royal will be pleased.'

And solicitor Chris Johnson added: 'It is great that they have backtracked from their original position, which I thought was a diabolical idea. Local magistrates have fought this tooth and nail, which I believe to be very important as this would just have been a matter of moving numbers around and would have disrupted the court system without delivering the desired results.'

Pre-trial reviews are set to be removed from the court room and dealt with administratively in a bid to ease the build up of cases and free up time.

Government is urged to monitor effects > > >

Government is urged to monitor effects

WORRIED council leaders say they will ask the Government to keep abreast of any changes to the magistrates court system in Cheshire.

Cheshire County Council leader Paul Findlow (Conservative) and Cllrs Derek Bateman (Labour) and Sue Proctor (Liberal Democrat) have drawn up a motion recognising the 'potential adverse impact that the changes may have on the people of Cheshire'; requesting that they be kept under review and regretting 'the lack of meaningful community consultation' on the issue. It also seeks assurances that any changes will in future be fully discussed with local authorities and other stakeholders before any final decisions are taken.

Cllr Findlow: 'We realise that the unacceptable backlog of cases has to be resolved but this is not the way to do it. The travel involved will create huge problems for many people - including witnesses who may not feel able to make the journey.

'We are extremely concerned that the administration of justice could be badly affected and that would be a tragedy for victims who are re-lying on the courts.'

Cllr Bateman said the proposed changes to the system assumed that there is public service travel available for those who do not have a car, while Cllr Proctor warned: 'It could impact on the recruitment of magistrates if there is to be a reduction in the variety and type of cases heard in courts in their area.'

Vale Royal Borough Council's Executive Group is opposing the changes in the 'strongest terms'. Members said they were concerned about increased costs of travelling if cases were not heard at a local court and the removal of local knowledge from the bench and pointed out that Vale Royal had the least number of outstanding trials and would effectively be penalised for having an effective record.

Court ruling awaited

THE confusion over the future of Vale Royal Magistrates Court is causing a headache for Northwich Vision chiefs. The old magistrates court was due to be taken down and replaced with a new facility - possibly in another location - as part of the £200m town centre regeneration.

Northwich Vision project manager Andy Wallace said he was waiting to hear from Her Majesty's Court Service about what it wants to do. He said: 'We don't know what provision the service will require in Northwich - it could need a smaller provision, or we could offer it provision in another location - there may not even need to be a court at all. The location is still fluid but hypothetically if there's no need for it, land will be available for other uses.'

More arrests lead to a massive backlog of cases  > > >

More arrests lead to a massive backlog of cases

SOLICITORS say the opening of Mid Cheshire's custody suite earlier this year and Government policies are causing a massive court case backlog.

There are now 1,900 cases queuing in the county's court system - even though the system is designed to deal with just 700 at any time - with court chiefs putting it down to increased police efficiency.

But Chris Johnson, of the Winsford branch of Mid Cheshire solicitors Mosshaselhurst, said Middlewich's new custody suite, which opened in January, had led to more arrests and an increased number of defendants coming through the courts system.

He said: 'The officers who make arrests are no longer responsible for dealing with the paperwork and other things that follow. As a result they are arresting more people than they otherwise would, and people are spending longer in police custody while the interview team tries to get the information it needs.'

Mr Johnson said some of his clients are now spending up to three times longer in custody than they would have done before. He added that solicitors also often receive reports with 'less' notice than before.

He explained: 'This has meant we have to postpone cases so we can get hold of the evidence we need, and even to read the files so we can do our best for our clients. Of course, this creates a backlog.'

Mr Johnson said the introduction of 'means tests' for Legal Aid had also led to 'countless' trial postponements in the last month.

He is backing the Law Society's What Price Justice? campaign and said: 'It used to be that if someone faced a possible jail sentence, they were entitled to Legal Aid, which meant that everyone could be represented and that the system ran smoothly.

'But now they have to fill in forms asking for their National Insurance Number and that of their partner, proof of income if there is one, proof of benefits payments if they apply, and the signature of their partner.

'This is creating massive backlogs in court and means that some people who deserve representation may not get it. Both these are holding up the legal system right across the county.'

YOURSay

Do you think that custody cases should be moved from Vale Royal? Telephone: 01606 42272 E-mail: midcheshire.news @cheshirenews. co.uk