– others are a work in progress

WITH its mandate to provide betterment for all Guyanese, the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Legal Affairs is fervently working to provide a better judicial system by renovating and establishing a number of courts in various areas.Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall in an exclusive interview with this publication last Friday at his office at Carmichael Street, Georgetown, indicated that while some of the courts have been completed and will soon become operational, others are a work in progress.
He noted that when these courts have been completed, it is the responsibility of the judiciary to have them become operational.
Minister Nandlall pointed out that the Wales Magistrates’ Court (West Bank Demerara) and the Leonora Magistrates’ Court (West Coast Demerara) have been completed. He said also that the rehabilitation of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court has been completed.
Additionally, air condition units have been installed in all the courtrooms, the chambers of the magistrates and all other offices in the buildings. However, the acquisition of additional furnishings is still ongoing.
Minister Nandlall noted that while additional furniture is being awaited, he has been informed by the acting Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Mr Rashid Mohammed, that existing furniture which had been removed from the court will be returned and this process was said to have started last Friday.

FAMILY COURT
The Attorney General said that he was also informed by the Registrar that the furnishing of the Family Court is still a work in progress. The Guyana Prison Service was contracted to do most of the work, but this has not yet been completed.
This new facility will handle issues such as divorce, division of property, domestic matters, adoption, guardianship and custody.
The new, two-storey building, has replicated the architectural style of the Supreme Court, its adjoining mediation centre and library.

UNSATISFACTORY WORK PERFORMANCE
Minister Nandlall further stated that he was informed by the Registrar, that with regard to the Lethem Magistrates’ Court, the original contract was awarded to Horizon Electrical and Associates in July 2011 and was termed phase one for the construction of the building. Another contract was termed phase two and awarded again to Horizon in July 2012 for external works.
Despite several extensions being granted to the contractor, only 87 percent of the works on phase 1 (construction of the building) and 90 percent on phase 2 (external works) have been completed.
The Registrar also reported that both projects were terminated on May 21, 2013 for unsatisfactory work performance. Another contract titled phase 3 was awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) in October to R. Kissoon Contracting Services to complete both of the projects.
Materials have already been purchased for the construction of court furnishings and works are moving smoothly and the completion date is expected to be in February 2014.

Linden Magistrates’ Court
The Registrar in his report to the Legal Affairs Minister noted that phases 1 and 2 of the Linden Magistrates’ Court project were awarded to Horizon Electrical Associates and General Construction in November 2011 and July 2012 respectively, but as in the case of the Lethem Magistrates’ Court, the contracts were terminated in May 2013 for unsatisfactory work performance.
Another contract was awarded by the NPTAB to Pioneer General Construction to complete both of the projects by November 2013 (phase three) but as October approached, only five percent of the works had been completed.
After some amount of delays, the contractor was contacted and work has recommenced with an undertaking that the project would be completed by December 2013.

(By Savitri Laikram)