The two uppermost floors of the Post Office building located on the Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard in Roseau will soon be the new home of the Registry Division and the High Court of Justice.
Speaking during a Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs press briefing on November 20, 2020, Acting Registrar General and Registrar of the High Court Marie-Therese Ettiene reported that the new premise will deliver numerous benefits to the staff and the various users of the facilities.
“The relocation of the registry division and the high court of justice to this new facility will provide a greatly improved physical environment with improved working stations, increased storage space, enhanced security measures and modern technology which will have a positive impact on staff morale,” she highlighted.
The building has been retrofitted to include a much more comfortable working environment to allow employees to be able to execute their duties at a location that will be spacious, and well equipped with appropriate furniture, equipment, and technology which will facilitate the realization of improved service delivery standards.
The Acting Registrar-General also explained that the Honorable Resident Judges, Masters of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC), legal practitioners, their clients, witnesses, jurors and police officers assigned to court duties and all other persons who regularly use the court will find that the ambiance at this new location allocated to the court will be much improved.
“The general public including the elderly and persons with disabilities and those requiring assistance due to limited mobility will soon have much more convenient access to the Registry and Court building in order to conduct business due to the presence of an elevator,” she said.
Moreover, with the addition of a third Courtroom, which like the other two Courtrooms will include a well-equipped Judges chambers, Ettiene says will provide the opportunity for much more serious and meaningful consideration to be given to engaging a third Resident Judge.
Meantime, Minister of National Security and Home Affairs Rayburn Blackmoore, revealed that the building will be completed by December of 2020.
He noted, “after Hurricane Maria, all of us know what we suffered by way of devastation and the Court and the Registry was not spared the ravages of the Hurricane and there were some sentiments expressed as to the commitment of the Government to adequately house the registry inclusive of the court…we recognize that we need these democratic spaces, and the courts are the foundation of that and we have a critical responsibility as far as ensuring that members of the public can have access to the Court at all time.”
As stated by the Minister, special care will be taken to ensure that the important documents and the chain of custody will not be disturbed during that transfer.
The new location will include on the first floor, the reception area, the Civil Registry, the court filing, and probates and deeds section, the chambers of the Registrar General and the Deputy Registrar, the mediation room, the land title registry among other spaces.
Additionally, the top floor will be outfitted with a criminal courtroom -the largest of the three courtrooms and will be designed to accommodate the sitting of the Court of Appeal and will be equipped with a Judge’s bench which is capable of sitting up to six Justices. There will also be a Civil Courtroom, a third fully equipped Courtroom, a meeting room, the Bailiff station, Jury Room, a holding cell equipped with washroom facilities for the prisoner, as well as the court administrator, appeals clerk, court clerks, and other court staff will also be on that floor.
So no family court ? Child victims will still be interrogated in preliminary hearings in magistrates courts? Deliberately intimidating already traumatised survivors . These cases can be commuted for trial speedily by paper committal. The current system ensures that 90% of the sexual offences reported still do not get to prosecution before the evidence is corrupted by time if not hush money, and the child victims already adults . Please dedicate this third court room as a family court .
All of a sudden I find you commenting on this and the other but in the past 15 years there was nothing but silence from your camp. I appreciate that your camp is part of that Skerrit cabal but one wonders what has changed recently. Is it a matter of you just finding your voice or has the ‘funding’ from the cabal tried out.
What difference is this going to me make? It see my a that this Odd Minister is just not visionary, nor appears has not engaged in surveying the nature of this site in the interest of our people.
Skerrit and his failed Fake Labour government must get the Hell out of our government.
This Failed incompetent immnature Skerrit and his failed questionable incompetent Skerrit and his Failed Labour government must get the hell out of our government. “Go to Hell… Go to Hell…it’s our Damn business.
We need change, we need decent committed visionary leadership with skills, decency and respect and commitment.
Dominicans, please wake up and smell the coffee. Let’s take control of our ailing and corrupted Labour government before things get worse. We need failed Skerrit and his faiied Labour government out of our Nature Isle/ government.
Dominicans, please wake up and smell the coffee. Get Skerrit the “Hell out of our government and Dominica. Get lost. Go, you’re incompetent…
What ever happened to the Halls of Justice on Bath Road and High Street where the club house is located? I guess the idea has been scrapped.
How about PARKING? It’s time parking is incorporated into at least all new buildings over a certain size. Use the ground floor for parking and squeeze Post office on 2nd floor or in a space at gov’t HQ with secure storage area. The internet has taken over that function of the few mail that still comes in. It’s almost obsolete like the home phone.
This is great for the country but there is no mention of the workers that are facilitating all the progress for this to be possible. Kudos to the hard working people on this project.
How many years has it taken this corrupt and incompetent government to renovate this building? I’m not sure, but from the top of my head it’s close to 7 years. Yet you still get these so called ‘Ministers’ attempt to sell us a good dose of that cheap Skerrit propaganda, pretending that all is well in DA, the land of milk and honey and remind us what a great government we have! Let me tell, the government of DA has failed miserably in every aspect and the Dominican society is a failed one as a result. Character, self esteem, pride are all words missing from the dictionary of today’s Dominican society. However, greed is everywhere to be found in DA most prevalent in Skerrits circles!
All you, where Mr. Blackmore get that jacket?
Seriously where did he that
Hold on, let me scroll back up, I have to see dat again
Goes to show they should have given out all those clothes that came in those containers too. Lol
Juanita, most likely from the clothes rack at a US Thrift store.
what about downstairs nothing happening there the post office not even working since MAY!! People cannot get mail form overseas since then like REALLY
The new location of the courts is a positive development. But more importantly is the administration of justice.
Would the long delays be something of the past? Would law abiding citizens still be dragged before a judge on trumped up charges? Would legitimate complaints brought against the ruling political party be summarily dismissed? Would SUPREME JUSTICE be granted to every citizen regardless of political affiliation, social status or level of education?
To give every man his due, that is SUPREME JUSTICE.
see the state of the podium for a national address. smh. i cannot take you people on anymore. Blackmore self looking like he get that jacked off of Fashion Nova.