A short film has been released to highlight the impact of court closures.

The film was launched by Suffolk Law Centre to illustrate problems since the closure of Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft magistrates’ courts in 2016.

A Suffolk Dad’s Story was screened as part of the Justice Alliance campaign, and to coincide with Justice Week, to build public support and promote the work of the legal sector.

Produced by University of Suffolk film students, it follows a Brandon father’s journey to family court in Ipswich.

Audrey Ludwig, Suffolk Law Centre director, said: “The film highlights a scenario that we are unfortunately seeing more often at our Suffolk Family Law Support Project, which runs a helpdesk for people needing advice on what to expect when they arrive at court with no legal representation.

“Navigating the family courts can be very stressful for people, and when they have had to travel from the other side of the county – a journey which might take several hours on public transport – this just makes the experience all the more traumatic. We are very pleased with the film that the students have produced for us, as we feel it captures this issue perfectly.”

In July, a report by Dr Olumide Adisa, from Suffolk Institute for Social and Economic Research (SISER), at University of Suffolk, raised concerns regarding the impact of court closures in Suffolk.