A gathering to recognise the end of Arbroath Sheriff Court’s role in the administration of Angus justice included a string of sitting and former town sheriffs.
Sheriff Alastair Dunlop, the sheriff principal of Tayside, Central and Fife, led the event that signalled the closure of the High Street building.
Sheriff Principal Dunlop said the event was a “celebration of the substantial contribution this court and all those who have served in it have played in the administration of justice for many years.”
He charted the history of the court in Arbroath, from former premises on the High Street to the current offices that have served the community since the 1970s.
Like others at the event, he expressed the hope that the building will find a positive future use.
He added: “I am well aware of the genuine affection the people in the community have for the building, and I do hope that some alternative use will be found that will be of benefit to the community.
“But it is the people who work in a building like this that bring it alive, and I want to pay tribute to the many who have served justice in this building now and in the past.
“It is perhaps not appreciated just how much the justice system depends on the collaborative work of so many people and I would like to place on record my deep appreciation for that.”
He continued: “I know that change is always unsettling, the new arrangements have required an enormous amount of hard work on the part of the staff here and in Forfar and I am sure we will reap the benefits of that hard work.”
“In a real sense a new page will be turned then the combined Angus courts meet in Forfar.
“I wish them and all of you well and I have every confidence your future will be marked with the same distinction with which you have served in Arbroath.”
Montrose solicitor Hamish Watt offered personal recollections of the court and his time there.
The event was also addressed by Brechin solicitor Steve Middleton, the dean of the faculty in the district, who said: “No one is here today to celebrate this event, but it is important we take time to acknowledge the contribution of this court to the community of Arbroath and the population of Angus.”
He made special mention of the “dedicated, knowledgeable and helpful” sheriff clerk’s staff at Arbroath and said the expertise of the teams at Arbroath and Forfar would hopefully help make a “seamless” transition into the new single court era.
However, Arbroath solicitor Nick Whelan, who led the fight against the Arbroath closure and who was not at Thursday’s event, said he continued to fear for the future.
“I have already had two indictment cases served, both Montrose matters which are going to call at Perth, and I think that is a sign things are going to get worse.
“My concern about that is that we are asking witnesses, and more importantly victims, to make a round trip of 120 miles to court and I do not believe that is giving people access to justice.
“Having visited Forfar Sheriff Court, I am also not convinced that all the improvements we were promised have been carried out,” he said.