$220M Mahdia Magistrates’ Court commissioned

Jan 12, 2025 News

Kaieteur News-The $220M Mahdia Magistrates’ Court was, on Friday, commissioned in the presence of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall; Chancellor of the Judiciary (Ag.) Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Chief Justice (Ag.) Roxane George among other officials.

Mahdia Magistrate’s Court

Nandlall spoke of the transformation within the judiciary. In his address, the Attorney General said, “No other generation of Guyanese have been able to witness but more importantly, be part of a process that is so transformational in the developmental equation of our country…What you are part of, what we are part of, whether we are even spectators or whether we are the pioneers, decision makers. At whatever level you are situated in the societal ladder of Guyana. You are part of beginning the reality, the dreams of our forefathers,” Nandall said.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall during the ceremony

The Chancellor mentioned the Mabaruma Magistrates’ Court that will be commissioned on February 17, 2025.

Additionally, Mahdia will soon have its own Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority Office.

Meanwhile, acting Chancellor Cummings-Edwards said that there was never a dedicated building for court in Mahdia. She said over the years, the judiciary has been sharing a space with the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

“The first wooden building by the police station comprised a police station, rather, [it] had a small office, which was the CID office. I believe…I kid you not, it was six by four, six feet by four feet. That is where the CID rank operated, and on the days for court, I guess the rank had to be placed elsewhere, and the courtroom, consisting of the magistrate, the prisoner, the prisoner dock, and the defence counsel and the prosecutor, had to be accommodated in that small space,” the Chancellor shared.

Chief Justice (Ag.) George reminded that Mahdia always had a magistrates’ court but there was a need for better accommodation.

“We are grateful to the Guyana Police Force for accommodating the court over the years, but we realized, as we are doing with other courts, we realize we have to modernize. This court took a little longer to be completed, and was anticipated partly because of the COVID 19 pandemic, which halted construction for a while,” she explained.

The Mahdia Magistrates’ Court will provide domestic violence, probation and social services. It will be presided over by Magistrate Clive Nurse from Monday. It will be staffed by persons from the community as well as Georgetown.

The ribbon cutting ceremony at the entrance of the court.

Meanwhile, it was disclosed during the commissioning ceremony that works on the Providence Magistrates’ Court, which has a price tag of $842,385,910, are scheduled to begin on January 13, 2025. The new building is set to have modern amenities and multiple court rooms.

The $489,856,592 magistrates’ court at La Parfaite Harmonie is currently under construction. The $437,242,665 Friendship Magistrates’ Court has been completed and the keys were handed over to the Registrar of Supreme Court on Christmas Eve Day, the attorney general disclosed.

The Anna Regina Magistrates’ Court will be completed in first week of February at a cost of $178,232,102.

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards, OR, CCH

During the commissioning ceremony which was chaired by the Registrar of the Supreme Court Sueanna Lovell, the Attorney General told the gathering that this generation is the luckiest in the history of Guyana.

He also said that the Mabaruma Magistrate’s Court is completed at a cost of $253,368,148.

Other ongoing projects of the judiciary are the Timehri Magistrates’ Court which is 60% completed and the Cove and John Magistrates’ Court which is 65% completed.

($220M Mahdia Magistrates’ Court commissioned)

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Chancellor, Chief Justice, commissioned, court, Mahdia

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