Disabled woman takes fight to save post offices to highcourt

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3155565 ... court.html

A severely disabled woman will take her battle to stop the government's post office closure programme to the High Court.

By Urmee Khan
Last Updated: 9:22AM BST 08 Oct 2008

She will find out today if the government breached disability rights and acted unlawfully in its decision to shut 2,500 post offices.

Judy Brown, 61, claims the policy to shut thousands of outlets, including her local branch, contravenes disability rights laws.

Mrs Brown, from Hastings, East Sussex, used the outlet for banking, payment of bills, shopping, correspondence and presents for her grandchildren, and she said her disability meant she was unable to visit more distant post offices.

She claims that John Hutton, the then Business Secretary, acted unlawfully by exempting the Post Office from laws requiring public bodies to promote equality for the disabled.

High Court judge Mr Justice Davis granted her application for a judicial review in May, noting that post offices are a vital part of the social fabric of communities.

If she is successful, the challenge in the High Court could halt the programme affecting 2,500 post offices and put further closures under scrutiny.

Her husband, Jonathan Coe, said: "Neither the Government nor the Post Office seem to understand why retaining local post offices is so important to those who are disabled and elderly, particularly those on low incomes and who do not have access to cars and the internet."

He criticised the "so-called" consultation process, saying in Sussex there were more than 6,000 objections but none had the slightest impact, and the county was set to lose all 49 branches initially proposed for closure.