Local justice areas are units in England and Wales established by the Courts Act 2003,[1] replacing[1] and directly based on[2] the previous petty sessional divisions.
[3] Whilst previously, local justice areas were used to determine which magistrates' courts may hear a particular case, since 1 April 2015, any magistrates' court in England and Wales may hear any case from anywhere in England and Wales.
They have since been amended by the merger of South Pembrokeshire and North Pembrokeshire to a single Pembrokeshire local justice area,[6] and the merger of De Maldwyn and Welshpool to a single Montgomeryshire local justice area[6] – this change came into force in 2006, although the magistrates already shared the same courtroom.
[7] A major rearrangement culminated in April 2017, when many local justice areas were amalgamated to leave 75 across England and Wales.
[22] Local Justice Areas will be abolished once Section 45 of the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 is brought into force.