Hall of Justice for the South

Contact: John Emmanuel

Wednesday, July 19, 2000 – Minister with responsibility for Legal Affairs, Home Affairs and Labour Honourable Velon John says government is giving serious consideration to a proposal for the construction of a ‘Hall of Justice’ to facilitate court proceedings in the south of the island.

The Minister says the proposal comes in the wake of horrendous conditions currently existing at several of the island’s court facilities primarily in the south, and will form part of a holistic package aimed at revamping the island’s judiciary.  

 “The long term plan is to erect a Hall of Justice in the south, particularly in Vieux Fort, which would service the various districts from Soufriere to Micoud. In this way it would also impact positively on the backlog of cases because the fragmented situation gives rise to situations whereby a lawyer may find himself with two or three cases in two of three districts in one day. So one may have a case in Choiseul and another in Laborie the very same day.  Obviously one will have to be adjourned. With this centralized situation however, all one would have to do is to stand down a case in one court room, while he addresses himself to the other,” said Mr. John 

He says government is also making progress in resolving the dysfunctional situation confronting the magistracy. To date two additional magistrates have been appointed, bringing the number to eight and measures to augment salaries of magistrates have also been implemented.

 -end-

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