A leading lawyer believes the closure of sheriff courts across Courier Country would rip apart local communities.
Billy Boyle, who began practising law in Dundee and has offices in Forfar and Arbroath, has seen the legal system change dramatically over 30 years.
But consultation on the future of the Angus courts, and the position of Dundee as a result, has led him to attack the Government over what he terms ”bureaucratic, insane” decision making.
Speculation about court provision in the district has led to fears Forfar or Arbroath may be axed. Cupar Sheriff Court in Fife is also thought to be at risk.
Mr Boyle has begun a petition for people to make their feelings known.
He told The Courier: ”Several of my lawyer colleagues have made good points regarding the effects that potential closure of the sheriff courts will have.
”However, there doesn’t seem to be any kind of lead from the community the local council and Nationalist MPs in particular. I have Nationalist leanings myself but this is the sort of thing the Scottish Government should not be doing to our communities.”
A document has revealed the main points raised during a meeting of top legal minds, and hinted that a three-month public consultation will be launched in the autumn.
The Scottish Court Service held six events across the country to engage the legal profession, councils and others with an association with the justice system.
Representatives of the judiciary, court staff, police, Scottish Government, the Scottish Legal Aid Board, the Crown Office, Procurator Fiscal Service, and the Scottish Prison Service also attended.
Among the main concerns of legal professionals were the lack of consideration for children and younger offenders in the consultation documents, and lack of concrete data on which to base discussion.
Most telling for Forfar and Arbroath courts is the widespread concession that the presence of a court in a community has an impact on the local economy.
Dean of the Angus Faculty of the Society of Procurators and Solicitors Steve Middleton said: ”The view is the belief there is no one in the faculty who would support any proposal to close Forfar Sheriff Court, or indeed any local court.”
Mr Boyle said his petition is representative of the feelings of Angus people, in terms of jobs and the importance of having a court in the community.
”Apart from the loss of jobs now, the loss of jobs in the future will be devastating,” he said. ”It’s a piece of bureaucratic, insane nonsense and those that represent us should stand up and be counted.”
Hundreds of people have signed Mr Boyle’s petition and he believes around 20 signatures are added every day.
Mr Boyle called on SNP members to ”stand up and protect” the communities ”they have been elected to do”.
And Hamish Watt, of Watt’s Solicitors, Montrose, said: ”My view is that this is a cost-cutting measure by the Scottish Government where the cost will be borne by solicitors, parties to cases at court and the general public.”