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Accessibility to rural courts is a "crucial right that cannot be discarded," according to a Liberal Democrat MP.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate yesterday Mark Williams, (Lib Dem, Ceredigion,) said many people in his Welsh constituency struggled to access nearby magistrates courts.
He made acknowledged it was important to close courts which are not being used, but outlined the need to safeguard local justice.
Williams expressed concern about the proposal to close the magistrates' court in Ceredigion, which has a population of around 40,000 people. He said this was "certainly enough to justify a magistrates court, and too far from the alternatives to rely on public transport."
"No doubt other MPs will speak up for their constituency needs, but there is a wider issue of the need for local access to justice," he said.
He added: "Someone going to court in Aberystwyth in the morning would have to catch a bus from Ceredigion at 7.20 am, and then face a significant walk from the bus stop.
“We are talking not just about the people of Ceredigion going to Aberystwyth, but about large communities.
"Access to justice is a key right for us all, and we will not be able to run the most economically efficient service without failing to provide the level of service required.
"That does not mean that we should never seek savings from the service or explore other ways of delivering a better service, but we must fully consider the impact of the loss of that service on the community."
"It is also crucial to remember that the closure will not only affect those individuals who will be denied convenient access to justice.
Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly agreed that people should not have to travel more than one hour to reach one. But he said that proximity to a court should not be the only consideration.
"We also need to consider utilisation, the maintenance situation, the speed cases are dealt with and the quality of the facilities for court users within a courthouse," he explained.
He added: "We need to take a step back and think about how we would ideally organise this important public service.
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