Court rooms lacking available space again

Two Grand Court criminal trials and two trials in the Financial Services Division of Grand Court took place in four different court rooms on Monday morning, which meant just two court rooms were left to accommodate the Summary Court lists of three magistrates. 

Magistrate Valdis Foldats apologised to everyone who filled the gallery of Court Two or sat in the extra folding chairs along the side of the room. He said he had two lists that day, his criminal list and the traffic list ordinary dealt with by Chief Magistrate Nova Hall. 

“That’s because we’re short of court rooms, which is often the case in this busy jurisdiction,” he said. 

Later in the morning, he again apologised – this time to four civilian witnesses who had attended for a trial he could not hear because he was committed to finish a partially-heard trial that had been put over from a previous date and which involved three defendants. “I know you have been here at least two times already,” he said to the four and a police officer in the matter. He also said the defendant has a right to have his trial heard in a timely manner. 

Mr. Foldats sent a message to Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn in Court Three to see if she could take the trial. Mrs. Gunn, who took up her post on 16 April, was however already engaged in a priority trial involving immigration matters. 

In Court One, Justice Charles Quin was presiding in a criminal trial that continued from last week. 

Over in Kirk House, Court Four, Justice Richard Williams was hearing a criminal matter in which the defendant had elected judge alone. The lack of a jury box in that facility was therefore not a factor. 

Courts Five and Six were assigned to Financial Services trials presided over by Chief Justice Anthony Smellie and Justice Angus Foster, respectively. 

There have been times when Grand Court judges use their chambers as open court. However, when multiple parties and/or attorneys are involved, physical space is a consideration and chambers may not be suitable. 

The situation could have been worse if the Court of Appeal had been in session. While appeals were being heard last November, for example, Magistrate Foldats held a traffic trial in the jury room of Court Five while Justice Andrew Jones was in the court room itself with a non-jury civil matter.  

On Monday, the magistrate had 49 defendants on the traffic list for mention or sentence. Although he was able to sentence a few and complete their matters, the vast majority were put over to new dates. On the criminal list, in addition to his partially-heard trial and the one that could not proceed, he had nine other defendants to deal with, some of whom had multiple files.