Magistrate Courts Reopen, People Must Sanitize Their Hands before Gaining Entry

The Magistrate Courts in Portsmouth and Roseau have reopened to treat legal cases and ensure justice across the country. But new health protocols prescribed by the Ministry of Health will be implemented before gaining access into the courtrooms. This was revealed by Chief Magistrate Candia Carette-George who stated that this is necessary to prevent the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 disease.

Carette-George established that persons wishing to come into the court complexes must sanitize their hands, wear face masks, and have their temperature taken before being allowed entry. She stated that anyone with unusually high temperature or that is obviously ill will not be allowed to enter courtrooms, and that only persons directly involved with an imminent case will be allowed entry so as to ensure that seating arrangement is six feet apart for social distancing.

“Therefore, persons wishing to access the Magistrate Courts including police officers, lawyers, witnesses, defendants and the general public will be required to sanitize their hands, have their temperature taken, and be wearing a mask before they are allowed entry,” Carette-George said.

She also warned people who had been summoned to appear before the courts prior to June 8 to do so in person to have their cases heard. She added that people who were supposed to be in court between March 24 and June 5 but were not there because of the COVID-19-related courts closure must come to the court clerks to obtain new dates for their appearance.

The chief magistrate made it clear that it is when people appear in courts in person and as at when due that justice can be served speedily across the island.

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