Few spaces for courthouses

MOST commercial buildings in TT cannot be used as courthouses. Court Executive Administrator, Master Christie-Anne Morris-Alleyne, made this observation at yesterday’s JSC hearing.

Morris-Alleyne explained it is very difficult to get an already built commercial building to serve as a courthouse as courthouses have certain distinct elements. These include three separate entrances and exits for the different people who use the court, ceilings of a particular height and no columns with spans of ten to 12 feet.

She said the best buildings to function as courthouses are buildings which the Judiciary has played a lead role in designing, constructing and maintaining. “Court buildings are unique and complex.”

Morris-Alleyne identified the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain and the recently opened Children’s Courts as examples of successful court buildings. Although the former has its challenges, Morris-Allyene said, “It has worked.”

She said a court house in Princes Town that was built under the purview of the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, subsequently could not be used for that purpose.

In the case of the country’s magistrates courts, Morris-Alleyne said, “Many buildings are woefully inadequate.” She observed the Siparia Magistrates Court was over 60 years old and was once a private residence. Part of the building housing that court used to be a post office which has since closed.

Morris-Alleyne said the Judiciary is seeking approval to buy the land which the post office occupied, “to build what Siparia needs.”

Southern Division Supt Wayne Mohammed said the San Fernando Magistrates Court continues to operate out of the same building which houses the San Fernando High Court.

He recalled the relocation of the magistrates court to the high court building until a new structure was built for the former was supposed to be temporary. Mohammed said a year has passed and in San Fernando “temporary is still temporary.