Merger of North Sussex and West Sussex Local Justice Areas
Detail of outcome
The response was published locally and circulated to those who responded.
Original consultation
Consultation description
The aim of this consultation is to 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.
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.