A consultation on the merger of the Sussex (Northern) and Sussex (Western) Local Justice Areas

Overview

The aim of this consultation is find views on proposals to merge the Local Justice Areas of Sussex (Northern) and Sussex (Western) into one new West Sussex Local Justice Area.

This will give greater flexibility in managing the caseload across West Sussex whilst increasing the opportunities for magistrates to sit on a broader range of cases on a regular basis and maintain experience and thus competence. It aims to reduce delays, and provide a more consistent service to court users. There will also be no reduction in access to justice for court users who have to attend hearings.

This will also enable more effective management of the business of the Bench, reducing the number of meetings that magistrates and support staff must attend.

What happens next