Court to hear its final case

Batley and Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court will close at lunchtime after serving communities in North Kirklees for 23 years.

Staff will then be joined by magistrates and other colleagues at the building in Grove Street for a farewell celebration.

Former magistrate Nan Chadwick served at Dewsbury for 25 years, including three as chairwoman of the bench.

“I was in on the first day so I definitely want to be there for the last,” she said.

Officially opened on October 9 in 1989, the court in Grove Street heard its first cases in January of the same year.

The £2.5m building replaced the old West Riding Court and court facilities in Dewsbury Town Hall.

Mrs Chadwick said: “I have lots of fond memories of a lot of good colleagues I worked with. I made a lot of friends during that time and I did my bit for the local community.”

She said she was proud to have been part of Dewsbury’s courts and praised the staff there.

“We had wonderful staff,” she said. “We couldn’t have done what we did without them.”

The magistrates’ court and Dewsbury County Court in Eightlands Road are both being closed as part of a Ministry of Justice restructuring.

The County Court will hear its final case next Thursday when a similar event will be held.

All Kirklees cases will be held at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court and Huddersfield County Court instead.