Modern living quarters were yesterday commissioned at the cost of $92m in the compound of the High Court in Berbice for judges and magistrates who are stationed in the Ancient County.
Justice Yonette Cummings–Edwards, Chancellor of the Judiciary, explained that the $92m semi-furnished structure will house four judicial officers: three magistrates and a land court judge. She said that the construction of such an edifice shows the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring the comfort of all judicial officers.
The Chancellor noted that the state in the past would have covered the cost of accommodation for persons stationed in Berbice. According to her, a recent bill for rental of premises for magistrates and commissioners of title amounted to $375,000 per month which would mean a cost of $4.5m per year. As such, she said that the construction of this building is a major improvement for them.
Attorney General, Anil Nandlall SC who delivered the feature address at the commissioning of the living quarters, also noted that the construction of the building would bring an end to renting of premises dating back to the colonial times where “our judicial officers and magistrates had to have been accommodated at locations across the coast exposing them to security risks and exposing them to influences that would have been inimical to the best of the justice system.”
Nandlall added that the executive arm of government is proud to continue to collaborate with the judiciary.
