Construction of a new state-of-the-art Supreme Court judicial complex is expected to begin later this year and should be completed in two years.
Attorney General Ryan Pinder, KC, made the promise yesterday during a ceremony to mark the Opening of the Legal Year.
The ceremony was held in the ballroom at the Margaritaville Resort because the Supreme Court, historically used for the special sitting, could not accommodate the increased number of Supreme Court justices to 19.
Pinder said, “Court infrastructure in today’s environment is severely lacking. Judges might say that the state of the infrastructure restricts the ability to deliver justice in an efficient manner. We all agree that the court infrastructure is deserving of foundational upgrades. As you might know, our government in partnership with the chief justice has announced plans to build a new, state- of- the- art Supreme Court judicial complex.
“The new Supreme Court complex will be built on the site of 50 and 52 Shirley Street and the Rodney Bain building, spanning from Parliament Street to Charlotte Street. There will be no fewer than 19 new court facilities with judge’s chambers and the necessary safeguards with respect to the hearing of criminal matters. We have closed on the purchase of the property and have applied for the demolition permit for the Rodney Bain building. We will begin construction later this year and are hoping to complete the construction within two years.”
Pinder said the new Court Complex would make it possible for specialty courts.
He said the Family Court and Juvenile Court Complex should be open in the first half of 2024.
Pinder said, “This complex will house Supreme Court and Magistrate Court facilities with the supporting central government agencies such as the police and social services. We will also encourage mediation as a dispute resolution option, especially in sensitive family matters.”
The attorney general also said that facilities would be acquired to launch a commercial court and arbitration center “to facilitate the effective and specialized resolution of commercial disputes”.
According to Pinder, by building a new Supreme Court, the judiciary will have facilities made available for a Sexual Offenses Court and for a new Coroner’s Court.
