Plans to close 10 sheriff courts and seven justice of the peace courts in Scotland are justified, a Scottish Government minister has said.

The Scottish Court Service has recommended the closures which could help save £4 million a year in running and maintenance costs.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said this money can "be better spent on improving services and facilities at a smaller number of courts".

He said: "Having given full and careful consideration of the Scottish Court Service's (SCS) recommendations and examined the analysis on the potential impact of these proposals, I believe that given the financial constraints we are all working under, these changes are justified and are compatible with our wider justice reforms."

Earmarked for closure are the sheriff courts in Dornoch, Duns, Kirkcudbright, Peebles, Rothesay, Cupar, Dingwall, Arbroath, Haddington and Stonehaven, with their business transferred to nearby locations.

Also facing closure are justice of the peace courts in Annan, Irvine, Motherwell, Cumbernauld, Portree, Stornoway and Wick.

In the same report, the SCS also recommends that High Court cases are heard predominantly in three dedicated centres in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Mr MacAskill has told SCS chief executive Eric McQueen and Lord President Lord Gill that the Scottish Government accepts the recommendations.

A consultation on the closures will now be carried out by SCS, and orders to close the courts will be laid in Holyrood and considered by the Justice Committee.

Labour's Lewis Macdonald criticised the Government plan.

"Kenny MacAskill's announcement today will be a slap in the face for all the local communities affected by these closures. The SNP have made great play that these proposals have come from the courts service but given the speed with which the SNP have endorsed them, it is clear that the Lord President is simply doing their bidding.

"All those local communities and elected representatives who wanted to make a case for their local court, including members of his own party, have been told that they needn't bother: ministers have their minds made up."

But Mr MacAskill said Scotland has a "fragmented and outdated court system" with many smaller courts that are "not fit for purpose and are under-used".

This is "no longer sustainable", he said.

"While the Scottish Court Service operates independently of the Scottish Government, it is not immune from the same financial pressures.

"And against the backdrop of unprecedented cuts to the Scottish budget from the Westminster Government, the SCS is seeking to save £4.5 million from its revenue budget and £6.4 million from its capital budget in the period 2011-12 to 2014-15.

"By making its proposed court closures and other changes to the handling of court business, SCS estimate they can save £1 million a year in running costs and £3 million in maintenance costs, money which can be better spent on improving services and facilities at a smaller number of courts."

Mr MacAskill said he understands the "concerns voiced by those who wish to retain their local court in their local high street".

But the sheriff courts recommended for closure only deal with about 5% of the total court business, with the SCS confident this can be handled by "a smaller number of better equipped courts", the Justice Secretary said.

Introducing a videoconferencing network in the courts in Aberdeen, Elgin, Inverness, Kirkwall, Lerwick and Stornoway, a process due to be completed by next month, will provide "the opportunity to use new technology for some cases, instead of participants having to travel to court".

Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman Alison McInnes accused the SNP administration of "ignoring the concerns of local communities" by backing the closures.

"Kenny MacAskill doesn't care about local courts but it's time for local SNP MSPs to show that they do. They have it in their power to save the local court in their area," she said.

"Scottish Liberal Democrats believe that justice is best delivered as locally as possible. Once again, SNP ministers are ignoring the concerns of local communities."

The Public and Commercial Services union, which represents court service staff, also criticised the closures.

Scottish secretary Lynn Henderson said: "The Scottish Courts Service and the minister claim that no one will lose their job because of these closures, but some staff stand to lose substantial sums of money if their court closes.

"The Justice Secretary must ensure that the guarantee of no compulsory redundancy is met and that staff are not forced to give up their job if their court closes and their job relocated."

Brian Carroll, secretary of the union's Scottish courts branch, said the proposals would mean "vast areas of the country will be left with no courts to deal with anything but minor criminal cases".

He said: "This will affect not only the accused but also witnesses and victims of crime. These proposals will also affect all those who wish to use the civil courts.

"We are extremely disappointed that ministers appear to have accepted the recommendations made by the Scottish Courts Service without examining the full impact of the permanent removal of sheriff courts from communities across Scotland.

"It will mean staff and users of the courts will have to travel substantial distances to attend and will reduce the access to justice for all users."