There are now just 16 private practice solicitor firms in the county, three of which have already stopped taking legal aid cases.

Enniskillen’s courthouse is now open just three days a week and Crown Court matters are heard 40 miles away in Dungannon.

The permanent closure of the Enniskillen PSNI custody suite, and the closure since 2023 of the custody suite in Omagh, also means arrested persons are moved to Strabane or even Lurgan.

Colin Mitchell, president of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, said today: “Access to justice should never depend on your postcode.

“When a single rural court closes or a legal aid firm is forced out of the system, the impact is felt first and hardest by people on low incomes and vulnerable court users who cannot simply travel 40 or 60 miles for help.

“We are on the verge of creating ‘legal deserts’ in parts of Northern Ireland, and that is unacceptable in any modern democracy.”

David Lavery, chief executive of the Law Society, added: “Solicitor practices are part of the fabric of rural communities, generating more than 100 high-quality, local jobs in Fermanagh and underpinning confidence in the rule of law.

“Yet low legal aid rates, high costs and the hollowing out of court and police facilities are squeezing solicitors beyond endurance.

“We call on the minister of justice to commit to a rural access to justice strategy with sustainable funding for local courts, custody suites and legal-aid services before these essential lifelines disappear.”

Diana Armstrong, the Ulster Unionist Party MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, recently led an adjournment debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly on access to justice in her constituency.

Members from across the political spectrum warned that continued reduction of sittings at Enniskillen courthouse and the closure of local custody suites are creating significant barriers for rural constituents, who must contend with long journeys, minimal public transport and the impacts on vulnerable people dependent on local support networks.

The debate built on evidence gathered at the Law Society’s first legal townhall, hosted earlier this year in Enniskillen, where Fermanagh solicitors and local representatives documented the strain on both practitioners and the communities they serve.

MLAs also called on the minister of justice to review and restore local court hearings and police facilities so that geography no longer dictates a citizen’s ability to obtain urgent legal help.

The Law Society is pressing for the restoration of full-time court sitting days in Enniskillen; the re-opening of the Enniskillen custody suite so detainees and their solicitors are not compelled to travel excessive distances; and a sustainable legal aid remuneration model to keep rural practices viable and avert further law firm closures.

Mr Mitchell said: “Without decisive intervention, there is a real danger that the fundamental right to seek timely, local legal advice will vanish for thousands of citizens in rural Northern Ireland. We cannot let that happen.”