A third of Britain’s courts have been sold in the past nine years, netting the government around £250m.
In 2010 there were 923 courts dealing with criminal and civil cases. By the end of last year that figure had tumbled to 628, with magistrates courts cut in half from 323 to 161. The number of county courts fell from 240 to 150, family courts from 185 to 168, tribunals from 83 to 68 and crown courts from 92 to 84.
Since 2013 the government has shut 127 courts, including 49 criminal courts. Sales values are not available for 66 of those courts and some may not have been sold.
Based on the sales figures for 61 courts, an estimated £122m has been generated, which could reach £250m.
Hammersmith magistrates court was sold for £43m, while the magistrates court on Bow Street was bought by a Qatari investment company and converted into a hotel at a cost of £125m.
The government has been accused of putting the court system in crisis with the sell-off.
