THE sod was turned on Friday for the construction of the $303.9 million Timehri Magistrate’s Court by the Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C.; Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards; acting Chief Justice, Roxane George, and acting Chief Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.
The project is expected to be completed by September, 2024. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Legal Affairs, the $303,905,015 contract for the construction of the courthouse was awarded to Orion Engineering Inc. by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) after a public tender.
The building will house a courtroom, magistrates’ chambers, living quarters for a magistrate and a clerk of court, washroom facilities, parking facilities and a perimeter fence.
The court will deal with cases arising out of the lower East Bank Demerara area, all the way up to Silvertown.

Present at the sod-turning were staff of the Supreme Court, contractor Benson Simon and Puran Ram, a representative of the engineers for the project.
The Chancellor expressed deep gratitude to the Attorney General for assisting in securing the plot of land from the Government of Guyana and thanked the Government of Guyana for financing the project.

“This is yet another demonstration of the government’s commitment to the Rule of Law and in ensuring access to justice by the citizens,” she said.
Earlier this week, the $294 million Vigilance Magistrate’s Court was commissioned.
Nandlall said that the government recognises the need for a more modern and revolutionary justice system and it is committed to making the necessary investments in order to enhance it.

In his feature remarks, he had said: “It [the new court] demonstrates vividly the government’s commitment to investing heavily in the judicial system and in the legal system of our country. It demonstrates the government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that there is equal and ready access to justice right across the length and breadth of our country.”

The Attorney General further announced that the newly-commissioned Vigilance Magistrate’s Court is one of several modernised facilities that the government is rolling out. Moreover, Mabaruma, Anna Regina, Cove and John, among others, will soon see the same.