‘COURTS STILL WORKING’

CHIEF Justice Sir Marston Gibson is assuring members of the public that the environmental concerns at the Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, The City, have not stopped the Courts from functioning.

Sir Marston made this declaration yesterday during a press conference held at the Complex where Registrar of the Supreme Court, Barbara Cooke-Alleyne, disclosed that workers have agreed to return to work there from Monday, pending full scale relocation for extensive remedial work to be undertaken at the building.

The workers, who have been away from the job since last week, agreed that they would work from 9 a.m. through to 1 p.m., until they are moved to their temporary locations.

“The Courts have continued to work; hearings have continued only in those spaces in the building which have been remediated to date. This was done in an effort not to further compromise the health of staff members, attorneys-at-law, and members of the public while the judiciary continued to execute its Constitutional functions and duties,” Sir Marston said.

The Chief Justice indicated that ongoing investigations have revealed the presence of mould, dust mites and other allergens which have impacted the health of those persons already mentioned and members of the judiciary as well.

He said he acknowledges the concern of some members of the non-judiciary staff to re-enter the building until remediation is completed to satisfactory scientific standards.

“That remediation is ongoing and will continue until completion. We recognise that the judiciary is a critical functionary under our Constitution, and therefore every effort must be made to ensure continuity.

“To this end, several of our courts, both the Court of Appeal and the High Courts, have continued to conduct trials, hearings and other matters at the Judiciary Centre. The position taken by the judiciary is not to be interpreted as forcing any member of staff who feels imperilled by entering the building to do so.

“It must be pointed out that the Judges have assumed responsibilities for the administrative functions normally carried out by the Clerks of Courts,” he said.

Sir Marston thanked the public and attorneys-at-law for their patience and understanding in these trying times. He said all stakeholders will be informed by the Registrar as to the precise dates and times of commencement of business at the temporary locations.

Plans are in place to retrofit the CLICO building at Whitepark to accommodate the Courts. Meanwhile, the Registration Department will operate from the Ministry of Home Affairs from Monday, and plans are being put in place for the criminal court to be held at the St Thomas-based new Cane Garden Complex.

Four civil courts will operate from the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, while Juvenile cases will be heard at the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court.

“I would have met with my staff a few minutes ago this morning and they are concerned that the public needs be satisfied and that the service that we provide to them. So they have agreed to come back into the building to work for shorter hours to satisfy the public needs. . .

“Our hours as agreed by the head of Civil Service will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., we will have to close at 12:30 p.m. to the public to allow us to tidy up our desks.

“As it gets closer to the time to go to Clico, we will have to actually close then for a period of about four days to actually pack up everything we need to take there. So at some point we would have to close for that period,” Registrar Cooke-Alleyne explained at yesterday’s press conference. (AH)