Magistrates' Courts
Commons · Question 105377 · Tabled 13 Jan 2026 · Ministry of Justice · Official record
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Question
Asked by Lee Anderson
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
Answered by Sarah Sackman, 23 Jan 2026
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...