— in protest against deplorable conditions

By Nafeeza Yahya
ATTORNEYS on Thursday walked out of the deplorable Springlands Magistrates’ Court after deeming it “unfit for working.”The court of law in question has for some time been the ‘court’ for bats which habitually defecate on the desks and floors of the courtroom.

According to reports, the mess has made a few persons ill, and the attorneys are determined to remedy the situation.

On August 15, the ceiling just above where Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh sits had collapsed, causing him to adjourn court for the day.

Attorneys and the magistrate have since been working in the poor conditions, but on Thursday they decided that enough was enough.

Attorney Mirza Sahadat said it is difficult to function in the current condition of the court as the scent from bat poop is very uncomfortable.

“Persons were complaining of headaches, nausea, while some were coughing, sneezing and had burning noses; we cannot work under these conditions,” he said.

Attorneys Adrian Anamayah, Chandra Sohan and Ryan Crawford were also at the court yesterday.

Crawford contended that the court in its current state is a health hazard, and as such is unfit for human occupation.
“It is unfit to work, it is a health hazard and more people will get sick, the authorities need to look into this as soon as possible.”

He added that the court needs a “major overhaul,” pointing out that” about a week ago while I was there, the desks were littered with bat faeces and the scent was intense.”

Apart from this, the court does not have a fan and is always hot and congested.

Another attorney described the situation as awful and said an alternative venue has to be found for work to resume.

“We have an obligation to our clients and the State; however, our health comes first and we must act to safeguard that, I cannot work under these atrocious conditions.”

The attorneys are calling for a new facility with modern amenities. The Springlands Magistrates’ Court is among the oldest in Guyana.

A member of the public who has been visiting the court for the past three days told the Guyana Chronicle that he has gotten a headache from the conditions there.

“I cannot understand how the magistrate and the others handle it, it’s not healthy, I understand they try to get work done but to do it under such conditions it’s not right. Something needs to be put in place soon so these people can work in comfort.”

This publication understands that the registrar has been informed about the situation at the court and the walkout on Thursday and efforts are being made to have an alternative location for the time being.

Court will continue today, but it is unclear whether any attorney or members of the public will be in attendance.