Magistrates’ Court starts at $50M, completed at $130M

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Magistrates’ Court starts at $50M, completed at $130M

Sep 05, 2013 News

By Latoya Giles
Junior Finance Minister Bishop Juan Edghill said that there is light at the end of the tunnel as he referred to the newly completed Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. He said that they have expanded the building to accommodate eleven courts up from five.
He said that all the Georgetown Magisterial courts will be housed in the same new building at Brickdam. Edghill said that this brings an end to renting the building at Middle Street.

The rehabilitated Magistrates’ Court.

He said that all of the courtrooms and offices are air-conditioned and sound proofed. Edghill further told Kaieteur News that there is parking for all of the magistrates on the northern and southern sides of the building. He said that the police outposts along with both the female and male holding cells have been rehabilitated.
Edghill said that a new transformer will be installed by the Guyana Power and light on September 15. All the magistrates will have their private chambers and individual walkways leading up to the courtroom. The public also has a new washroom.
When asked about cost overruns, Edghill said that he would not say that there were overruns but additional works. The minister said that Government started by putting a cost of $50m. He said that they then saw the need for more works and started with the air conditioning, among others.
Edghill further added that tenders for standby generators will be opened next Tuesday. In all, the Minister told Kaieteur News that thus far, they have spent about $130M on the building.
Edghill added that government is currently refurbishing the Wismar and Lethem courts and adding new quarters. Wales and Leonora are being rehabilitated. The Minister also noted that there will be a sub office of the Director of Public Prosecutions at Berbice. The Mediation Center at Berbice is also nearing completion.
Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall had stated that this was an initiative under the Modernization of the Justice Administration System project which seeks to enhance the physical and infrastructural institutional capacity of the Justice Sector.
“No country has ever progressed, economically, and no people have ever advanced, socially, in the absence of a system which guarantees the prevalence of the rule of law…which recognizes the basic human rights of its citizens and which does not provide a system that allows the citizenry to settle their grievances, between themselves and the state, as well as among themselves, in an effective and efficient fashion.”

2 thoughts on “Magistrates’ Court starts at $50M, completed at $130M”

maninthebush September 5, 2013 at 8:47 am

Let hope that a couple of months later we don’t hear about problems with all of the rehab work. What about putting a passport office in Berbice?
besmart September 5, 2013 at 2:53 pm

Good look of a building is not what makes it special .{ Who and what goes on in the building is what makes it …special or not.