East Lothian Conservatives have condemned the Scottish Government’s approval of the Scottish Court Service’s plans which will see the closure of around one fifth of Scotland’s Sheriff Courts, including Haddington Sheriff Court.
The move comes despite warnings from opposition parties and experts that the closure will result in too much work being channelled to an already over-loaded Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Deputy Association Chairman, Tim Jackson commented, ‘As with other local issues, this decision demonstrates once again that the SNP Government ignores the strongly held views of local communities. Given the significant number of those who made representations against the closure, this is a SNP ‘slap in the face’ to the people of East Lothian.’
And Group Leader Cllr Michael Veitch added, ‘This is a disgraceful decision from the SNP Government and will, if implemented, be a terrible blow for East Lothian.’