The Department of Justice is part-way through a six-month trial that has seen reduced opening hours of court registries at Narromine, Warren, Nyngan, Cobar and Gilgandra.

Orana Law Society president Andrew Boog has raised concerns the trial may be the start of a loss of service.

He cited a past example in which a Sydney court stopped sitting, and then people stopped using its registry office and then the courthouse was closed.

"That's an example of an experience that is guaranteed to produce the result you want," he said.

"Sadly these experiments are self-fullfilling."

The law society and other stakeholders are right to raise their concerns now, while the trial is on.

And for those who think fewer courts operating in western NSW is only going to affect smaller towns, think again.

Mr Boog warned it would "blow out" delays in Dubbo Local Court.

Unfortunately crime occurs in all centres, small and large, and the people of these small communities should have access to justice.

We all want governments to rein in spending and be mindful of what our money is spent on, but there is just some expenditure that needs to be made.

And while reduced opening hours - or the closure of courts - may appear to cut costs, it could lead to more problems that in the end cost us more.

We call on the department to take into consideration the views of the communities as they review the trial.