By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A NEW Supreme Court justice is expected to be appointed this Thursday as the government furthers its efforts to speed up the rate at which cases in the country are tried and heard.
State Minister for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez told The Tribune yesterday that renovations to the Ansbacher Building on Bank Lane, which will house additional courts, have “pretty much” been finished.
He added that additional Supreme Courts should be operational by next month – nearly a year after they were originally expected to open.
In the meantime, the courts will be outfitted with furniture and other pieces of necessary equipment.
Mr Gomez declined to say who will be appointed as the new Supreme Court justice.
However, he said, the new justice will begin working immediately on Friday, a day after “she” is appointed.
He had previously told The Tribune that the new courts will be phased in overtime.
The government signed a contract worth almost $5m in July 2013 to renovate the Ansbacher Building.
The opening of the new courts has been dogged with delays. The courts were expected to be operational in January of this year, but the opening was later postponed to March.
In May, Mr Gomez said the courts would be open by June, however this deadline was missed.
Last year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works Philip “Brave” Davis led the contract signing for the deal, awarding the contract to Bildex Construction.
The three-story building is expected to house two Supreme Courts downstairs, five courts with justices’ chambers and court staff upstairs. The building will also house registries, administration and human resources staff.
As the government attempts to curb the country’s high crime rate, speeding up the rate at which justice is administered is a major part of its plan for addressing crime in the country.
The completion of the renovation to the Ansbacher Building and the subsequent appointment of additional justices will allow the government to fulfil one of its key promises in the fight against crime.
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