‘People already travel to Tain for supermarkets’ — MSP

THE axe fell on Dornoch’s Sheriff Court this week, with cases being moved to Tain, but the local SNP MSP — who did not fight the controversial closure — has claimed local people are already used to travelling to the town for their supermarket shopping.

The SNP Scottish Government aims to save £4 million a year by shutting the sheriff court and other courts in the country in the controversial cost-cutting drive.

All criminal and civil cases in Dornoch will be transferred to Tain, which has angered opponents who have highlighted the longer journeys for witnesses and victims.

SNP MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s justice committee narrowly voted 5-4 in favour of shutting courts despite Lib Dem, Labour and Conservative opposition.

The decision sparked anger amongst local Highland councillors Jim McGillivray and Deirdre Mackay who said it was a major blow for Dornoch.

Councillor McGillivray claimed the law in Sutherland was now "a lodger in Ross-shire" and said the "lunatics had taken over the ‘Scottish Parliamentary asylum’."

But Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MSP Rob Gibson — who is not a committee member — laid the blame for the court’s demise at Westminster’s Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government and said it had slashed the amount of money given to the Scottish Government.

"It has tried to protect services and cushioned the public from these cuts but devolution can only go so far," said Mr Gibson, who added courts with fewer cases had been vulnerable to closure. "If you think about it, people already do a great deal of travelling to Tain to get to supermarkets because there are no major supermarkets in Dornoch. These are 19th century courts which no longer reflect the traffic patterns of where people go to do their shopping."

However, he shared local concerns about the condition of Tain’s courthouse and said that he was supportive of the local group keen to take over the Dornoch building.

But Councillor McGillivray warned he would block any move from the Scottish Court Service to seek help to upgrade Tain’s court.

"I will certainly oppose any bid by the Scottish Court Service to seek assistance from the Highland Council, from whom, as I understand things, they lease substantial parts of the Tain court building, in order to upgrade Tain Sheriff Court," he said.

"This decision shows simply that the lunatics have finally taken over the Scottish Parliamentary asylum, and that the law in Sutherland is now merely a lodger in Ross-shire."

But the East Sutherland and Edderton councillor said he was supportive of the Dornoch Area Community Interest Company’s move to buy the court and establish it as "a municipal centre" for the Dornoch area.

Deirdre Mackay, the area leader for Caithness and Sutherland, warned the decision would hit the local economy.

"There is no doubt that local shops, cafes and accommodation will be affected," said Councillor Mackay.