(Wandsworth County Court dates from 1973)
The Personal Support Unit is currently running a pilot of its service at Wandsworth County Court in south-west London.
County courts are courts of first instance in the civil system (as opposed to Magistrate's Courts and the Crown Court, which try criminal cases), positioned below the relevant sections of the High Court and Court of Appeal. They can be found in major towns and cities around England and Wales, and are often where people first come into contact with the law. County courts deal with claims up to £50,000. Some also have a family jurisdiction.
As the nature of the cases differ from the charity's "first home" at the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ) so too does the type of work the PSU does at Wandsworth. Clients there might be facing eviction from their homes, challenging a parking ticket or fighting for access to their children. The physical space is also very different; the 1970s three-court building at Wandsworth lacks a large building's facilities not to mention the RCJ's grandeur. The PSU presence goes some way to addressing the issue of support, and I have met more than a few people who prefer the less formal (and therefore less intimidating) atmosphere of modern court buildings.
The PSU can be found at Wandsworth County Court 9.30am to 4pm Monday - Friday. The telephone number is 020 8333 4366.
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