The Government of the Virgin Islands is currently in the planning and design phases of the Magistrates Court, considered as Phase I of the Halls of Justice project.

Premier and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Andrew A. Fahie said his Government takes the matter of justice and security very seriously, and has ensured that redevelopment of the Magistrates Court is given priority and will receive funding in the 2020 budget estimates.

“Construction of the new court facility will provide the much-needed rooms and space to allow for a proper and functional court system, the Premier said.

 He added, “My Government is committed to developing a court facility that is resilient and SMART, and meet the needs of the people of the Virgin Islands.” He further stated, “Construction of the new Magistrates Court will be Phase I of the Halls of Justice project.”

The Magistrates Court received extensive damages during the passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and has been inoperable since that time. A temporary modular structure was constructed and commissioned in July 2018 to accommodate sittings of the court.

The project is being funded under the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Loan (RRL) from the Caribbean Development Bank, which was secured by Government to assist with the recovery of the Territory from Hurricane Irma. Director of Projects in the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Drexel Glasgow stated that following a tender process, the firm Trojan Design and Development Ltd. was contracted to prepare designs for development of the Magistrates Court.

He added, “The conceptual designs prepared by Trojan are quite impressive and is an excellent start to developing a building that we can be proud of as a Territory.”

The immediate next step for this project includes a stakeholder engagement meeting with Government officials to finalise the requirements for the court facility. This will be followed by the preparation of the designs and other documentation as required under the planning process. It is expected that submission of tenders for the construction phase of the project will be in July 2020.

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Photo Credit:  Concept developed by Trojan Design and Development Ltd.