PROPOSALS which involve Herefordshire prisoners appearing before a court outside the county threaten local justice, it is feared.

A consultation on the Ministry of Justice's plans to transfer remand cases from Hereford Magistrates’ Court to Worcestershire – including Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester city – closed last month.

But county solicitors fear that, should the proposals be approved, there will be a knock-on effect for victims of crime, families and the public purse while years of experience will be lost.

Mark Thompson, a criminal barrister and partner at Coulson Read Lewis Solicitors, said: "The knock-on effects are that a defendant who gets arrested in Hereford and is held at a police station 100 yards from the court won't be taken to that court and will go to as far away as Redditch – more than 50 miles.

"The shortest journey will take 45 minutes to an hour the longest well over an hour – that isn’t allowing for traffic.

"The result will no doubt be remand prisoners from Hereford arriving well after the business of the respective courts has begun. Those inevitable delays will impact across the board.

"They will affect the efficient and speedy business of the court, cause further pressure on a frankly ludicrously depleted court staff, involve additional vehicles and staff for the current contract holder GEO Amey and will impact upon the legal aid fund as solicitors from Hereford will be compelled where appropriate to claim for both travel time and disbursements from the public purse."

Experienced magistrates from Herefordshire also bring unique local knowledge into a courtroom with them, he said, which can have a direct bearing on justice.

The proposals would leave a gap in their training and knowledge, possibly leaving them without ever hearing a bail application.

“What about the victims of the crime?" Mr Thompson added. "If a victim wants to go to a first hearing for a Hereford case where a person is held in custody they will have to drive to Worcestershire.

“What about somebody with mental health issues who is homeless and granted bail by a court in Worcester and is released? You’re going to have vulnerable people with drink and drug problems dumped in Worcester with no means to get anywhere.

“The principle of a Magistrates Court is that you will be considered by the community you are offending in and that’s being taken away. People from Redditch have no relevance to people from Ross-on-Wye."

Philip Cornell, of Cornell & Co. Solicitors, said he believes the proposals increase the likelihood of there being a miscarriage of justice.

“If you have to instruct someone to look after your client in Worcester they are not going to know the case as well as you," he said.

“People who end up in court will suffer far more and it will be more likely there will be a miscarriage of justice.

“It’s all very well the government saying we spend more money on our criminal system that any other country in Europe but do we really want to have Spanish justice or treat people like they do in Greece or Spain?”

An HM Courts & Tribunals Service spokesman said the consultation on changes to criminal listing arrangements aimed to 'improve efficiency and make the best use of resources'.

"The consultation closed on January 29 and all stakeholders’ views will be taken into consideration before any of the proposals are implemented," the spokesman said.

"Trials will continue to take place at the court which is the most suitable for the parties concerned."