Sedgemoor magistrates have dropped legal action seeking to prevent the closure of their court after having ‘lost faith in the system’.

The decision leaves the Ministry of Justice facing three actions over its programme of court closures.

Mike Dodden, former chairman of the Sedgemoor bench and director of SLJ, the company set up to fight the closure of Sedgemoor Magistrates’ Court, told the Gazette he would not be pursuing the application for a judicial review.

SLJ had issued proceedings, but decided not to continue after considering the response to its application from the Treasury Solicitor on behalf of the MoJ.

Dodden said: ‘We got the feeling that although we had a strong case, the MoJ would find another way to close the court even if we succeeded.

'We didn’t feel they had taken note of anything we had said and we lost faith in the system.’

The High Court in Cardiff will hear arguments next month over the proposed closure of magistrates’ courts in Barry and Cardigan.

Two local solicitors, Stephen Welch, partner at Welch & Co and Alan Lewis, consultant at Taylor Lewis, are bringing the proceedings in relation to the Cardigan court.

They were initially refused permission for a review, but now have an oral hearing listed and have launched a fighting fund to cover their costs.

The Law Society has offered £3,000 on the condition that the sum is matched by local donations.

The substantive hearing of the case in relation to Barry, instigated by Vale of Glamorgan Council, is listed on the same dates.

At the time of going to press, the High Court was also scheduled to hear proceedings challenging the closure of the court in Sittingbourne.

An MoJ spokeswoman said it is defending the claims, but is committed to supporting local justice, and enabling justice to be done and be seen to be done.

She said: ‘Closures will ultimately help to modernise and improve the use of courts in England and Wales.

'Keeping under-utilised courts open is simply not a good use of taxpayers’ money and resources must be targeted to best effect to provide value for money.’