DORCHESTER Crown Court is set to close by the end of September.

It was confirmed last week that the county town court was one of ten courts in the south west, and one of 86 across the country being closed.

A HM Courts and Tribunal Service document shows the potential implementation dates of the closures.

The document states the dates give an indication of when courts will cease to provide a public facing service.

However it does state that the timetable is subject to change.

The list reveals that Dorchester Crown Court will close between July and September this year.

Bournemouth Magistrates Court is also listed for closure and will do so between October and December this year.

Minister for Courts and Legal Aid, Shailesh Vara, said that the courts being closed were used for just over a third of their available hearing time, the equivalent of less than two days a week.

HM Courts and Tribunal Service claims that the use of modern technology will reduce the need for people to travel to court and the government was investing £700m over the next four years to update the court and tribunal estate to make the justice system more efficient and effective.

PCS, the public and commercial services union, has criticised the decision and a petition has also been launched to try and save the courts.

In a statement, PCS’s general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said the closures would seriously undermine access to local courts, not only for the administration of justice but also public confidence in the justice system.

He said: “The plans are not being driven by need or what will work, but by a political choice to cut public spending.

“It is impossible to know whether the government’s case on better use of technology stacks up because these decisions are being taken before it has properly been developed and tested.”

However, Mr Vara, said that while the decisions are difficult the changes are vital to modernise the system.

Mr Vara also said that 97 per cent of citizens would be able to reach their required court within an hour by car but a Dorset Echo investigation has revealed that people who need to attend court could face a journey of up to four hours to travel to Bournemouth.

Cases that would have been heard at Dorchester Crown Court will be held at Bournemouth Crown Court.

It is intended that all of the courts listed will be closed within two years.