Sandy Bay RM court’s fate still undecided
WESTERN BUREAU — Following a meeting with residents of Sandy Bay and surrounding communities on Tuesday night, the ministry of justice has decided to postpone closing the Sandy Bay RM Court.
The Observer reported on Wednesday, that the ministry of justice was planning to close 12 of the island’s courthouse as a part of a rationalisation programme.
However, minister of justice, A J Nicholson, stressed that the courthouses would not be closed before consultations were held with the people in the communities where the closures were to take effect.
The Sandy Bay courthouse in Hanover was one of the 12 slated to be closed under the rationalisation programme.
But at a public forum in Sandy Bay Tuesday night, residents strongly voiced their disapproval at the move to close the facility.
According to the Jamaica Labour Party candidate for East Hanover, Barrington Gray, the residents are against the move because the closure of the facility will mean that they will have to travel long distances to have their matters heard.
“This will cause severe financial hardships, because the people will have to travel to Lucea or Ramble to court,” Gray argued.
In recent times, the Sandy Bay courthouse which serves communities such as Pondside, Hopewell, Great Valley, Rejoin Great River, Welcome, New Mills and Hopewell, has fallen into a state of disrepair. In addition to this, the closure of the Ramble courthouse in 1988 increased the workload at Sandy Bay.
But with the reopening of the Ramble courthouse set for March, the ministry of Justice is hoping that some of the communities Sandy Bay now serves will take their cases there. It is also hoped that the residents in Sandy Bay will use the facilities at Lucea.
At Tuesday night’s forum, Nicholson, after listening to the concerns of the residents, said a final decision will be taken following the reopening of the Ramble Court.
“After Ramble is reopened, an analysis will be carried out on the caseload at Sandy Bay, and then another meeting will be held with the residents, at which time a final decision will be taken on Sandy Bay,” he said.
