DEEP concerns have been expressed over plans to shut two of the Carmarthenshire’s courts under new Government cutback plans.

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP, Jonathan Edwards, has slammed the recently announced decision to shut down the Carmarthen’s Guildhall law courts and the town’s civil court at Picton Terrace saying it will have a “profound impact” on the area.

The Guildhall law courts, which house Carmarthen Crown Court , and the Carmarthen Civil, Family, Tribunal and Probate Hearing Centre are part of a consultation over plans to close 91 courts and tribunal centres in England and Wales.

"We have lost courts in Llandovery and Ammanford in recent years and one of the reasons made for closing those courts was the existence of the courts in Carmarthen. I am very concerned by the continuing erosion of justice and access to it in rural Wales.

“The closure of both courts in Carmarthen will have a profound impact on the status of the town and demonstrates that centralisation is a never ending process that continuously moves services away from people,” Mr Edwards told the Guardian.

“It wasn’t that long ago that I was invited to meet the Lord Chief Justice of and England and Wales when he personally came to Carmarthen to open the state-of-the-art family court facility which is one of the very courts now under threat.

“No further proof is needed to justify my concern that the fabric of our justice system is being unwoven.

“I intend objecting to these closures in the strongest possible terms. I will be asking the Justice Secretary the reason behind his contempt for rural Wales and what price he wants us to pay for his ideological redefinition of the state and the vacuuming of public services away from our communities.”

The plans, announced last week, are part of a consolation paper, which also sees proposals to merge the Crown Court at Swansea's Guildhall with Swansea Crown Court, is bid to reduce surplus capacity by closing those courts and tribunals that are unused or underused, or that are simply unsuitable for the services we need to provide from them.

In the consultation paper, the Carmarthen courts have been described as "surplus capacity" due to the limited hearings held at the courts, with most cases being heard at Llanelli Magistrates Court or Swansea Crown Court.

It comes just weeks after both Mr Edwards and Ammanford law firm Lys Cennen Solicitors, highlighted threats to access to local law services due to planned Legal Aid cutbacks.

Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon also expressed his concerns about the consultation, which will end on October 8.

"I agree with the Justice Secretary that courts need to be more flexible - but that must not come at expense of local justice in rural areas.

"There's no reason for a reduction in service for rural courts; the Government should devolve budgets for local courts to Police and Crime Commissioners. We can then ensure that local needs are met.

"I'll be writing to the Justice Secretary to make clear in no uncertain terms that rural areas should not suffer a lesser service; there's no need for them to do so with proper local control. I'm calling on him to devolve these budgets and I'm asking other PCCs to make the same call.

"I am calling on the public to support my petition for quicker, better local justice and proper local control over our justice system.

"Local justice is the bedrock of law and order and I'm determined that, working with the Justice Secretary, we can improve it."