Georgetown Magistrates’ Court: A compelling edifice of justice

Aug 24, 2014 News

By Sunita Samaroo
In the very heart of the capital city stands an edifice that is 123 years in existence – among

Georgetown Magistrates’ Court under renovation in 1986

the oldest landmarks in this country. To a discerning eye, the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court building stands as a unique place where justice is sought by people from all walks of life.
The striking 19th-century building stands at Croal Street and the Avenue of the Republic behind high wrought-iron fences, with its strong concrete walls, is much different from the structures surrounding it.
On a weekly basis, it is noticeably one of the busiest locations around the downtown Stabroek area; the mass box-like structure forms part of the city’s never-ending bustle.
The Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, or lower court as some call it, is sited just steps away from the Georgetown Supreme Court. It was officially opened on September 1, 1891, when the need for expansion to accommodation of legal proceedings arose. It is now, arguably the busiest of all the courts in Guyana.
Entering the gates of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court leaves one to wonder about the hands that worked assiduously to construct the impressive fences. It leads the way to the decorative ironwork which continues to balconies surrounding the northern and southern wings as well as the rails around the front of the building.
It is quite common to see persons leaning on the burgundy-coloured iron masterwork at the main

Present day Georgetown Magistrates’ Court

entrances of the cream-coloured building on a daily basis. Architects and history lovers note that the ornate wrought iron rails and stairs are amongst the most noteworthy features of the edifice.
Through expansion and renovation projections over the years, the court now hosts eleven courtrooms.
Before one gets through the wooden doors of the courtrooms, it is not a strange occurrence to be greeted by the commanding voices of orderlies calling out for litigants and defendants, as the Magistrates sit waiting with case dockets in hand. Nor is it strange to find lawyers decked in tailored suits hurrying past “foot-to-foot” with their nervous and questioning clients.
A smart and well thought over feature of the Court is perhaps the prisoners’ chute through which the accused persons pass from the police outpost and holding area on the ground floor in and out of the courtrooms in the two-storey structure.
Except for rainy days when sewage leaves the court precincts with a foul stench, the court is something to admire.
Its northern wing currently hosts the Traffic Court and five summary courtrooms while the southern

The extensive decorative grillwork on the court

wing is home to the Chief Magistrate and three other magistrates.
The Family Court is also on the southern wing opposite the Maintenance Office that is flocked daily by single mothers straddled with young children on their hips or in arms, waiting patiently to collect monies owed.
Patrolling ranks and officers in their shiny shoes and immaculate uniforms are also a daily feature.
Amazingly, the effects of weather and time are barely evident, perhaps owing to the meticulous renovation projects which it has undergone over the years.
It was, like the Supreme Court, constructed by Caesar Castellani, an architect from the Public Works Department who also designed many of Guyana’s historical buildings.
The saddest thing about this landmark is that its tales seems scattered across history; it is perhaps ironic that the place where the lives of many have changed or altered has been so poorly documented.
It is no secret that approximately ninety percent of the litigation that feeds the judicial system of the country emanates from the Magistrates’ Court, which has both civil and criminal jurisdiction.
The Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, originally built as an annex of the High Court, is but the busiest of the lower courts.
Like their other brothers and sisters scattered around the country’s courts, the quota of Magistrates in the city work tirelessly to hear and determine complaints countless matters on a daily basis.