OCHO RIOS, St Ann — St Ann’s new family court will begin hearing cases today, and residents have already begun singing its praises.

The newly built building boasts modern fixtures and furniture, elevator access and air conditioning, and is in stark contrast to conditions at some of the island’s other courthouses. Family court matters used to be heard at the parish court on Main Street in St Ann. The new location is on Windsor Road.

“We’re in a new facility and it is very relaxing to us in terms of the size and the modern feel,” the court’s obviously pleased Operations Manager Geraldene Gooden Cowan told the Jamaica Observer during a visit on Monday when the building was officially opened to the public.

The Ministry of Justice officially handed the facility over to the Court Administration Division (CAD) on September 4. Since then, efforts have been made to put trained staff in place to ensure the court can effectively meet the needs of surrounding communities.

Critics, including Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, have long raised concerns about inadequacies of the physical infrastructure that houses the country’s court system. Speaking during a mid-October Judiciary of Jamaica press briefing called to provide what was described as “critical updates on the current state of the courts across Jamaica”, Sykes argued that almost all buildings used as courthouses need to be refurbished or relocated into their own space. The newly built family court in St Ann was among the three exceptions he cited then.

On Monday, as some members of the public made general enquiries or asked about their upcoming cases that will be heard at the facility, they expressed an appreciation for the improved surroundings.

“The service was great, and the facility is really nice. Paint looks nice on the wall, chairs are in order with no scratches or dents. Judging on how some government facilities usually look, it’s good to see a difference in the appearance,” Geuzel Miller told the
Observer moments after she exited the building.

She gushed about the ambiance, and asserted that the experience was so good she felt as if she was not using a public service.

That will be good news for CAD Director Tricia Cameron Anglin. As she explained in a release, the family court was designed to provide a safe and respectful environment for families in St Ann as it offers a variety of services such as case management, counselling, and support programmes for resolving family and children-related matters.