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Save Limavady Courthouse campaign gathers momentum

Thursday, 2 February 2012

Proposals to close Limavady Courthouse were released in December 2011. An information meeting is being held on February 8 to discuss the plans, which are still open for public consultation.

THE fight to retain Limavady Courthouse continued this week with Limavady United's footballers throwing their weight behind the 'Save Limavady Courthouse' campaign. The Roesiders were first to sign up to the campaign to encourage local sports and community groups to get involved in the fight, and were the first to display the banner which has been commissioned by campaigners, before their match at home to Finn Harps last Tuesday night. Other sports clubs and community groups will be following suit as the campaign gathers momentum.
A spokesman for the Football Club said: "We were delighted to be asked to help with the campaign. We see ourselves as being at the heart of our community and when there is an attack on the rights of the people of Limavady, we will always be open to appeals for help.
“Limavady has always been overlooked for Londonderry and Coleraine by government and the closing of another local resource, leaving behind another derelict building on the Main Street, is not the way to go.
“In local sport we suffer from similar pressures and we have to listen to other local people when they ask for help in standing up for local services. "People in Limavady have always had to struggle to get services that other towns take for granted and we call on everyone to support the campaign.
“The courthouse is only the latest of many services that have been moved out of the borough and if something is not done, we will be left with a ghost town."
The NI Courts and Tribunals Service launched a consultation at the end of last year seeking views on the permanent closure of five hearing centres including Limavady. The Courts Service said it was operating in a challenging economic environment and the centres required significant future investment.
TRAVEL COSTS
However, it was revealed this week that Lawyers in Northern Ireland have claimed over £9m from the legal aid budget in travel costs over the last three years. Minister for Justice David Ford released the figures in response to an Assembly question from Lord Morrow MLA of Clogher Valley, which read: 'How much has been paid from the legal aid budget on the travel or mileage costs of legal representatives in each of the last three years.'
The figures include expenditure for both solicitors and barristers across all legal aid schemes - civil, criminal, children order, assistance by way of legal representation and legal advice and assistance.

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