Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS): The High Court in St. Kitts and Nevis is functioning efficiently following its relocation to the Charles Amory Building in Fortlands on September 20, 2023, overcoming what was described as “initial hiccups.”
Attorney-General (AG), the Honourable Garth Wilkin, noted that the judges, lawyers, support staff, clients and others involved in matters that go before the court “are now pleased” since those initial hiccups have been resolved.
As a consequence, the wheels of justice in St. Kitts and Nevis are anticipated to turn even faster with the rollout of criminal justice reforms and the increase in human resources to facilitate the efforts to clear the backlog of cases, and to speed up the administration of justice for new cases.
During the Budget Debate on December 18, Honourable Wilkin said that the plan is to permanently acquire the current property, as additional services are launched as part of justice reforms.
“My hope is to be able to come to this House for 2025, and to get money to buy those properties so we don’t have to rent them so that they can be part of the government’s housing stock to house permanently the Magistrate’s Court,” he stated.
The attorney general added that the original home of the High Court, the Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore Judicial and Legal Services Complex at East Independence Square Street, is undergoing significant rehabilitation work and will resume functioning when completed.
“My goal, Madam Speaker, is to bring the High Court back to where it should be at the Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore Judicial and Legal Services building – the historic location of our High Court,” AG Wilkin noted.
The attorney-general thanked his permanent secretary, Diana Francis, and the staff for their hard work in facilitating the temporary relocation of the court.