S/F'do magistrates' courts make way for High Court

THE old San Fernando Magistrates' Court is being torn down to make way for the High Court to be expanded, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi has said.

After being closed for two years, the old building, on Harris Promenade, is being demolished.

The Assembly of Southern Lawyers has been complaining bitterly for adequate space, as the magistrates' courts have been operating on a shift system with the High Court. The ASL said this arrangement has not only resulted in inefficiency and inconvenience in the delivery of justice, but is frustrating the rights of litigants and accused people to have their cases determined in a timely manner.

Speaking to the media as he opened the Southex Trade Show at Gulf View on Wednesday, Al-Rawi said he met with the Judiciary on Monday.

“I can tell you that the plans are about to go to request for proposals (RFP), the architectural (design) has just been completed. NIDCO is in charge of that project. The Magistrates' Court will commence construction this year. There will be brand-new accommodation for this court.”

The new building is to be built at the corner of Sutton Street and Irving Park, on the site which once housed the Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmers’ Association.

The old building was originally closed to remove asbestos from the ceiling, but the earthquake of 2018 affected its structural integrity.

“The earthquake caused the building to be condemned. We have demolished the internal aspects of the Magistrates'Courts already. We will do the outer aspects on the weekend.

“All things being equal, that site will be an expansion of the High Court so that we can split out civil courts from criminal courts and push the development, the same way we have done in Port of Spain, where we have allocated the Waterfront for civil courts, giving us 65 new criminal courts at the Hall of Justice.

“San Fernando gets to cut and paste that formula.”

The AG said Cabinet is also considering proposals for the opening of the Family Court at the old St Joseph’s Cluny, San Fernando site. He also said the Family Court in Tobago will be opened on Friday.

He said the judiciary has to be expanded, “because you can amend laws all you want; if you don’t have plant and machinery, people and process to activate the law, then you are just wasting time.”

The AG also announced that the Registrar General's office at Leotaud Street, San Fernando will soon be moving to new accommodation at Gulf City.

“The Registrar General's office in San Fernando is entirely unacceptable. People are in inadequate accommodation. They are on the outside of the place.”

He said several other sites were approached, “and Gulf City appears to be the preferred location right now. At least it’s a better environment: easy parking, enclosed premises.”

He said the south office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has already secured a space at Gulf City and is building out to accommodate the office.

He said debate on the marijuana legislation and the campaign finance bill should begin after the budget presentation and debate.

“I have drafted a very comprehensive Campaign Finance Bill. That is before the Finance and General Purposes Committee. I expect when the budget is over, we will be able to lay that bill in the Parliament, subject of course, to Cabinet approval."

He said the budget wish list of the AG’s office is simple.

“It is really about value for money, about doing better with what you have. I have run three offices–the Ministry of Justice, Legal Affairs and the AG’s office–with one third of the budget that former AG Anand Ramlogan had before me.”