New court rooms created to tackle 'busy schedule'

Two new court rooms have opened at a government-owned building to help deal with a "busy schedule".

Bailiff of Jersey Robert MacRae said the rooms inside Jubilee Wharf on the Esplanade, St Helier, would help "accommodate many cases already listed and to be listed in the future".

The Bailiff's Office said one room had been designed specifically to accommodate jury trials, the first being the hearing into the explosion at the Haut du Mont block of flats in Pier Road that killed 10 people, which is due to start on Monday.

It added the other would be an extra court room for family, children and civil cases.

An independent review into the criminal justice system recommended the government work with the bailiff to increase space at the Royal Courts.

This included having areas suitable for vulnerable witnesses who needed extra measures to help them.

The Bailiff's Office acknowledged the courts which have been built are not a "permanent solution" to the matters raised in the review, but they are "appropriate for particular cases pending a more permanent arrangement".

MacRae said: "A great deal of work has been done by a great many people to enable us to be able to provide these new facilities, which will significantly increase both the capacity and flexibility of the Royal Courts."

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