In September of 2002, the historic Paslow Building burnt down in what fire investigators said was arson. That's when all the offices that had been housed there were forced to relocate. Included in that was the magistracy, including the Family Court. The Family Court went to the Commercial Center and the Magistrate's Court went to the Sikaffy building. After 4 years in those strange quarters, now both courts are coming back together, and joining the Supreme Court. After the complete renovations, the two lower courts are now moving to the lower flat of the former Treasury Building. Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord today told us the move is logical.
Herbert Lord, Chief Magistrate
"We have now completed the renovation of what used to be the Treasury Building and the Magistrate Courts with effect from today are in the process of coming over to this building. We should be completed, and you notice it is a Herculean task, we're working tomorrow and today, and possibly Monday' by Tuesday we should be opened back to the pubic fulltime again serving the public in the criminal sector.
The courts itself with the volume of people, also we have a bigger waiting area on the verandah and the other areas over the next side are larger so I do not foresee a problem with the actual working of the courts. Possibly with people waiting for maybe payments and other thing there might be a slight problem at the beginning but so people become used to it, they will not have the problem. Plus the courts for the Family Court are upstairs and being upstairs, the majority of the work will be upstairs where the courts are. People will only be coming downstairs for administrative purposes as I see it at this point in time. Some problems exist anywhere you go but we will have to clarify that and work around it some time in the future.
It is far better than we were at the Sikaffy Building. The Sikaffy Building as you were aware, we had to go upstairs. We also had to pass through court number three while it was on sessions. We had to pass through three to reach four, we had to pass through three to reach the main office, we had to pass through three to reach number six. As it is now, you do not have to pass through any courtrooms. The area is more central. You can go straight in and you will find the courts.
The offices might be the same or a little bigger but it is a vast improvement compared to where we were before and the noise per say will not be affecting the courts as it used to affect the court in the Sikaffy Building. Plus I said the waiting area, if you look at the verandah, the area is much bigger. People can wait there. It is more centrally located and I think it is a far better situation than when we were there plus we'll be now in a government building."
Alfonso Noble,
Expenditure wise you will be saving that money I imagine.
Herbert Lord,
"Yes the government of Belize will be saving quite some money. How much? I am not aware."
The Magistrate's Court and the Family Court are expected to be in full operation at the former Treasury Building sometime next week.
