Balclutha criminal court hearings will shift to Dunedin next month, prompting fears the move will be permanent.
District Courts general manager Tony Fisher yesterday said Balclutha District Court sittings would be in Dunedin from October 14 because court users had told the Justice Ministry it was more convenient to travel there than to Gore.
Balclutha lawyer Tina Williams said she was ''really disappointed'' with the lack of progress on the courthouse in Balclutha, which was closed after earthquake fears.
''I have not seen any indication of anyone looking for a hearing centre in Balclutha ... We haven't seen anyone checking out the structural integrity of our courthouse.
''There has been no real public consultation around whether the town wants the court here ... Justice should be seen to be done in the community affected.''
The expense of travelling to Gore or Dunedin had a flow-on effect on clients, whether they or the taxpayer paid for it, Ms Williams said.
She would withdraw from the Balclutha District Court when it shifted to Dunedin, leaving Carmen Jillett as the only Balclutha-based lawyer in that court.
Ms Jillett said court users would face the same issues with transport whether hearings were held in Dunedin or Gore.
''It's two years on and we have no idea what is happening with our courthouse.''
It would be good to have a working party made up from the Clutha community to discuss the issues with the ministry, she said.
''The fear is that Balclutha has been forgotten - we don't even have a dedicated registrar to ring about Balclutha court. We don't really have anyone.''
Since the Balclutha courthouse's closure in November 2011, criminal court hearings have been held in Gore, while Family Court has been heard in Dunedin since early 2012.
At the end of February, the Balclutha registry office was closed and the town lost its two registrars. The move was part of the ministry's decision to make nine courts, including Balclutha and Oamaru, hearing-only centres.
''We are still looking at options for strengthening the Balclutha courthouse and these arrangements will continue until a decision is made. At this stage, we have no timeframe on that,'' Mr Fisher said.
Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan said it was ''imperative'' to maintain a separate list for the Balclutha District Court while sitting in Dunedin.
''The natural justice is to be judged by their peers. We are an individual community in a large area - we have no direct affinity with Dunedin or Gore,'' he said.
''All parties affected'' should to be able to attend court sittings.
