THE final sitting of Peebles Sheriff Court heard a stinging rebuke of the decision to order its closure for financial reasons.

All court business has been transferred to Selkirk Sheriff Court, 22 miles away, meaning long journeys for the residents of Peeblesshire in the interests of justice.

Having re-opened just 10 years ago, as a multi-purpose justice centre incorporating council offices and a police station, the present arrangements at Peebles were described by Sheriff Kevin Drummond as “a model for the provision of rural justice services across the country”.

He said the closure for financial reasons was difficult to understand as the building made efficient use of police witnesses and custodies, served an extensive geographical area and there were no court staff employed as it was served by workers based in Selkirk.

Addressing a gathering of the legal fraternity in the Peeblesshire area to mark the closure - the Royal and Ancient Burgh of Peebles has had a court dating back to medieval times - Sheriff Drummond said: “After today the building will still be here and the staff will be in Selkirk.

“I am confident that in a year or so someone will exercise the powers available under the Freedom of Information Act and find out just how much has been saved from the public purse by the closure of this fine court.

“I am sad for the solicitors and court practitioners who have served this court with distinction and I am sad too for the people of the county.” Sheriff Drummond helped remove the Sovereign’s Coat of Arms which hung above the bench to mark the official closure of Peebles Sheriff Court but said he should perhaps add the words “for the time being”.

Hinting at reverting to the current arrangements sometime in the future he explained: “I can only hope that I may still be around when somebody comes up with the great new, perhaps even revolutionary, idea that business could be dealt with more cheaply and efficiently by having a court in Peebles with a travelling sheriff.” His comments were echoed by Morris Anderson, a senior partner with Peebles law firm Blackwood and Smith.

He said: “I could understand if Peebles Sheriff Court was an out-dated Victorian building but we dealt with all that 10 years ago.

“Now we have all the facilities under one roof. I extremely doubt it will be any cheaper moving to Selkirk.

“All it does is take the court system further away from the people. It is a poor decision.” Peebles Sheriff Court used to be situated at the foot of the town’s High Street from the mid-19th Century but it closed in 2001 after extensive dry rot was discovered.

After a four year absence, when cases were heard at Selkirk, Peebles Sheriff Court re-opened in 2005 in Rosetta Road as part of the local council offices and situated beside the new police station.

But Peebles was one of 10 sheriff courts throughout Scotland axed following a review by the Scottish Courts Service, a move endorsed by the Scottish Parliament.

The others are Dornoch, Kirkcudbright, Rothesay, Duns, Haddington, Cupar, Arbroath, Stonehaven and Dingwall.

The final sitting of Duns Sheriff Court is next Wednesday (January 28) with business at the Berwickshire town being transferred to Jedburgh, 32 miles away.

Sheriff Principal Mhairi Stephen spoke fondly of her times as a sheriff in Peebles when the court was beside the Cuddy Bridge.

She said the closure would be met with “sadness and poignancy” in the Royal Burgh and compared the facility in a smaller scale to Livingston Sheriff Court where it shares facilities with council offices.

The Sheriff Principal said it was important to mark that the Justice of the Peace Court would also be moving to Selkirk and paid tribute to all those who had contributed to the service in Peebles.

In particular, she highlighted the sad passing of the last resident JP Bryan Brockie who died in June at his Peebles home.

She said: “He was a great loss to the bench. He was held in very high esteem as a dedicated, patient and fair-minded JP.” A framed certificate marking Mr Brockie’s 24 years of service as a JP was presented to his son Steven who had travelled from his home in Newton Mearns to attend the ceremony.