Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 13, 2021 (SKNIS): The newly constructed Annex of the Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Complex will soon be outfitted with furniture, appliances, and other amenities to make it functional following the completion of construction in late December last year. The additional court will help in the speedy administration of Justice.
The two-story building will house a third Magistrate’s Court Chamber in District A, a court-connected Mediation Centre, and a Law Library. When fully operational, the services available in the Annex will significantly strengthen the administration of justice.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Vincent Byron Jr., conducted a brief walk-through of the building with St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) on Wednesday, January 12, 2021. He said that the rule of law is the glue that holds a strong democratic society together and that St. Kitts and Nevis continues to receive high grades as it relates to the administration of justice.
“We are proud that under this administration we have been able to consistently give to our people the confidence that they are living in a society that is just, one in which everyone has that access to justice and can get their grievances settled,” Honourable Byron Jr. stated.
The building boasts many modern features including closed-circuit cameras for security purposes, as well as to enable virtual court hearings. Persons will also be able to connect to several online legal systems such as LexisNexis to conduct research.
The attorney general commended the contractor B. C. Audain and Associates for the excellent work in constructing the building.
“Mr. Audain has … produced a building that we all should be proud of. It’s one which we feel very, very good (about) and (is) the type of public building that we need to establish ourselves as a small, modern, young democracy,” Attorney General Byron Jr. added.
The walk-through at the new Annex of the Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Complex will air in a SKNIS produced programme.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 22, 2020 (SKNIS): After a 38-year absence, a Law Library will be re-established in Basseterre, St. Kitts, following the dedication of the Annex at the Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Complex.
The Annex is housed, in a newly constructed two-storey building on East Independence Square Street. It will feature a third Magistrate’s Chamber for District A, a Mediation Centre, and the aforementioned Law Library.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Vincent Byron Jr. welcomed the new service, which was lost, during a fire on September 01, 1982. The fire destroyed the historic building, which housed the St. Kitts-Nevis Supreme Court and the Basseterre Public Library. The Law Library was a part of the Basseterre Public Library.
The attorney general highlighted the value of the Law Library while reporting on his ministry’s activities on December 21, 2020, during the Budget Debate. He said that the legal books, records, and documents would be open to legal practitioners, litigants, college and university students, and the general public.
“We have gotten over 364 books from IMPACT Justice from the assistance of Professor Velma Newton at Cave Hill, [UWI, Barbados] who has been able to source these books,” Honourable Byron Jr. stated, noting that they carry a $64,000 Canadian price tag. “Specialist law books on a wide range of matters have been selected and it now gives us the basis for solid support through our legal fraternity.”
The attorney general said the Law Library is “a major and exciting project” that the government was pleased to reintroduce for the benefit of the population.
The IMPACT Justice Project, which stands for Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean, is a Canadian-funded justice sector reform project. It assists 13 CARICOM member states including St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Annex at the Sir Lee L. Moore Judicial and Legal Complex will be dedicated in the new year.
]]>