Leader of The Nationals WA, Shane Love MLA, has demanded urgent action from the Cook Labor Government after a Public Notice confirmed criminal court sittings across large parts of regional and remote Western Australia will be vacated from June 1 due to a shortage of court security and custodial services.
Mr Love said the situation exposed a serious failure in the delivery of justice in regional WA and demanded immediate answers from the Attorney General and Police Minister.
“This is a serious breakdown in access to justice for regional Western Australians,” Mr Love said.
“We were completely blindsided by this announcement and still trying to understand the whys and ramifications, as I know many stakeholders affected are.
“The public deserves to know how the system has been allowed to deteriorate to the point where criminal court sittings cannot proceed safely.
“The Government must come clean on whether this failure is the result of staffing shortages, poor resourcing, agency mismanagement, or all three.”
Mr Love said the closures would hit already isolated regional communities hardest, forcing some people to travel hundreds of kilometres just to access court services.
“In Meekatharra, people may now be forced to travel more than 600 kilometres to Carnarvon, including on unsealed roads, or more than 500 kilometres to Geraldton just to attend court,” he said.
“That is completely unacceptable and shows how out of touch this Government is with the realities of regional WA.”
Mr Love said the fallout would extend well beyond accused persons and lawyers, affecting victims, witnesses, police officers, families and vulnerable community members.
“Regional Western Australians should not be treated as second-class citizens by the justice system,” he said.
“This failure will have real consequences for victims waiting on hearings, police resources already under strain, and communities that deserve confidence their justice system is working.
“If regional court services cannot be guaranteed, it sends a clear message that regional Western Australians are being treated as an afterthought.
“The Attorney General and Police Minister must explain how the justice system has been allowed to deteriorate to this point and what urgent action is being taken to fix it,” he said.
“The Cook Labor Government cannot allow regional court services to effectively collapse on its watch.”
