CAMPAIGNERS are calling on Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson MSP to use new laws to keep open Haddington Sheriff Court, which has dispensed justice for more than 500 years.

The court is scheduled for closure at the end of January 2015 following a decisions taken by Mr Matheson’s predecessor Kenny MacAskill MSP and the Scottish Court Service.

Closure of the facility means East Lothian residents will have to travel to Edinburgh Sheriff Court, which is already overstretched.

Campaigners are protesting at a meeting of East Lothian Council tomorrow (Tuesday) and calling for the support of all local councillors to back the campaign to retain court services by introducing the new post of ‘Summary Sheriff’ to East Lothian.

If Haddington Sheriff Court closes, East Lothian will become the only local authority area in the Lothian and Borders Sheriffdom without a sheriff court within its boundaries.

The Scottish Government is recruiting ‘Summary Sheriffs’ from early 2015. This newly created position would mean that Haddington, together with other rural sheriff courts around the country, could be run at significantly less cost than previously.

The Scottish Court Service could, insist campaigners, retain court facilities in Haddington whilst at the same time cutting costs and delivering streamlined services across Scotland.

Angela Craig, acting dean of East Lothian Faculty of Procurators, the representative body of all solicitors practising in East Lothian, said: “The campaign against closure of Haddington Sheriff Court has huge local backing and is totally opposed to East Lothian losing this vital public service.

“Plans to move all business to Edinburgh sheriff court are not sensible or well thought-out given the number of summary criminal cases being processed in Scottish courts have increased by 30 per cent in 2014. This has already resulted in reported overcrowding at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

“We are calling on the new Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson MSP to look afresh at this issue and consider if the option for appointing a summary sheriff can work in Haddington.

“We recognise that this option was not available to his predecessor and it looked like closure might be the only way to save money for the Scottish Court Service.

“This is clearly not the case now and the Scottish Government has the means at its disposal to keep court services available for the people of East Lothian and elsewhere in South Scotland.” The push to save Haddington Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court from closure - including the Courier's 'Save Our Court' campaign - attracted more than 3,000 responses of support in 2012 but was still not enough to save the court from the axe. That decision was confirmed in summer 2013.

County Iain Gray MSP said this week: "I've fought the Scottish Government's plans to close our court from the outset. The closure decision was not evidence-based and is opposed by the vast majority of people in East Lothian. It will be bad for local justice, bad for victims and witnesses and bad for Haddington and the local economy.

"We have a new Justice Secretary and this protest is a last ditch opportunity for local people to show their opposition to the closure and urge Michael Matheson to think again. It may be a long shot, but I'm willing to support any attempt to overturn this damaging decision.

“This is the last chance for the Scottish Government to do the right thing and save our court.” Councillor Willie Innes, leader of East Lothian Council, added: “The council has always been against the closure of Haddington Sheriff Court and we are also writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to ask him to review and reverse the decision to close. We are happy to support any campaign to keep the court open.”