The MP for Chichester has urged the Justice Secretary to consider reopening Chichester Crown Court.
Jess Brown-Fuller raised the issue with David Lammy in Parliament, stressing the need for more Crown Court capacity to speed up access to justice.
Chichester Crown Court closed in 2018, two years after the town’s Magistrates’ Court shut its doors.
Brown-Fuller previously raised the matter in 2024, emphasising the importance of additional Crown Court capacity to ensure timely access to justice. She also discussed with the then Secretary of State the need for a long-term plan for the site, including maintenance of the building’s exterior.
Jess asked the current Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy: “Since 2021, Chichester Crown Court has been used as a Nightingale Court to catch up with the huge backlog of cases. As court delays continue to slow down our justice system, will the Justice Secretary please give consideration to making Chichester Crown Court a permanent Crown Court, which would be the only one in West Sussex?”
Lammy said he would look into the situation and noted that he knew the Chichester constituency “well.”
Afterwards Jess commented: “The closure of the Crown Court in Chichester was a mistake, exemplified by its re-opening as a Nightingale Court just a few years later.
“Last year I raised the lack of long-term stability for the area with the Government and was disappointed not to receive the commitment to its future that I wanted.
“I have again pushed the Government to come to the table with the only credible long-term solution, which is its reinstatement as a Crown Court, and I look forward to hearing his full response."
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