Concerns raised over impending closure of Wabush court

The women's centre in western Labrador says closing the provincial court in Wabush is a backward move.

• Courts, police take a hit in N.L. budget

Executive Director Noreen Careen saidthe centre does a lot of work with women and families facing domestic violence.

Last week's budget includeda plan to close the provincial courts in Harbour Grace and Wabush, as well as the Supreme Courts in Grand Bank and Grand Falls-Windsor.

Careen saidthe court system is already too slow in dealing with cases and processing things like emergency protection orders.

"I'm very concerned about the safety of people," Careen told Labrador Morning.

"I'm very concerned about delays that we may experience. We do a lot of work at our women's centre with women whose partners are facing assault charges or many other things, so yeah, I'm really very apprehensive as to how this is going to work out."

Careen saidshe doesn't know how the provincial government plans to handle court cases without a full-time court, adding the provincial court in Happy Valley-Goose Bay is already stressed with a heavy caseload.