North East Fife MSP Rod Campbell has claimed it would have been an “abuse” of his power on Holyrood’s Justice Committee not to vote for the closure of Cupar Sheriff Court.
Courts in Cupar, Stonehaven and Arbroath are three of 10 which will close, alongside 16 justice of the peace courts, under Scottish Court Service plans backed by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
Despite writing on his website in December that he could see “no case for the removal of summary criminal work from Cupar whatsoever”, on Tuesday Mr Campbell cast a vital vote to rubber-stamp the closures.
Opposition MSPs said he had let his constituents down ,however, Mr Campbell told The Courier: “No matter my position in relation to Cupar Sheriff Court, I am a member of the Justice Committee and it would have been an abuse of my position just to consider Cupar.”
He added: “(The) vote in the Justice Committee was not a vote about one court it was about the overall proposal of court reforms across Scotland.
“Clearly this is not good news in the short term for Cupar, and I continue to have reservations about the local economic and social impact of the court closure.”
During a two-and-a-half-hour evidence session to the committee, Mr Campbell expressed “regret” that he had failed to change Mr MacAskill’s mind about closing Cupar, adding he thought the economic impact of the plans had been “underestimated”.
But both his vote and that of fellow SNP member Christine Grahame who will see her local court in Peebles shut under the plans proved crucial as the committee backed the Scottish Government.
An annulment order put forward by opposition members, which would have pushed the plans to a full debate at Holyrood, was rejected by five votes to four.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “People in North East Fife have been let down by their local MSP Rod Campbell. Instead of standing up for his community he has stood up for his Government.”
Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Liz Smith said: “The SNP closure of Cupar Sheriff Court is a bad day for justice being delivered to communities in North East Fife.
“This is a damaging decision and one that we will soon see is a mistake.”
Lewis Macdonald, Scottish Labour’s justice spokesman, said: “Christine Grahame and Rod Campbell have both put their party before their constituents and compromised access to justice in their communities.”
Tory North East Scotland MSP Alex Johnstone said: “We will now see 10 sheriff courts, including Stonehaven and Arbroath, and 13 justice of the peace courts close their doors in what can only be described as the SNP’s ‘scorched earth’ approach to justice.”
Law Society president Bruce Beveridge said: “This will be a major loss, particularly for our rural communities. Local courts are an integral part of communities across Scotland.”
Patrick McGuire, a partner in Thompsons Solicitors, said: “It is hugely worrying that the Scottish Government has surged ahead with such unpopular and controversial measures which ultimately will be detrimental to the access Scottish people have to justice.”
Mr Campbell attacked Conservative and Liberal Democrat MSPs who criticised his vote by pointing to court closures taking place “the length and breadth of England and Wales”.
And Mr MacAskill insisted: “We cannot deliver better access to justice by avoiding the need for change.”
SNP Angus South MSP Graeme Dey said: “It is to be regretted that Arbroath Sheriff Court will close but my main concern has, for some time, been that if Forfar had gone instead … then the Arbroath court would have followed a few years down the line, leaving us with no justice footprint in the county.”
For full local reaction to the decision, see Wednesday’s Courier or try our digital edition.