New 'de luxe' court registry welcomed

A new court registry, which started functioning at the end of July following a complex logistical and construction operation, is being officially inaugurated today.

The registry was moved from a tight area in the annex, which has now made way for the family court, to the area that once housed the Valletta police station.

More spacious and comfortable for employees, clients and lawyers alike, it offers privacy and a more dignified working environment, said Alfred Theuma, the director of the office of review, within the Justice Ministry. Its centralised layout is intended to avoid needless running around, amalgamating the various functions into one area and designed to facilitate procedures.

Mr Theuma said the move was carried out with minimal disruption over a weekend and was successful also due to the cooperation of staff.

Prior to the move, there were not even enough chairs for legal procurators, Mr Theuma said.

The president of the Chamber of Legal Procurators, Edgar Montanaro, welcomed the "long-awaited" new registry, saying that LPs were previously confined to an area one-tenth the size. "All on top of each other," they also faced the danger that papers were misplaced, or picked up by others.

Members of staff commented on the "de luxe" environment, and Chamber of Advocates president Joe Azzopardi said the "long-overdue" new registry "could not be better".

The new civil registry has cost over Lm150,000 and is the first in a series of structural alterations at the law courts, which run into millions of liri.

The family court, part of the Lm2.5 million project for the maximum utilisation of court space, is expected to be completed by the end of March, while the entire project is expected to be completed within three to four years, Mr Theuma said.

The family court, which is to deal with any cases related to the family, is being housed in the law courts annex, where extensive works are underway.

The new set-up, combined with recent legal amendments, would mean that a battered wife would no longer have to testify in front of her husband - a situation that often resulted in a change of testimony after one look from the man, Mr Theuma said.

The bridge connecting the annex to the law courts is being removed, ensuring that the family court would be cut off from the main building, but close enough for the convenience of lawyers.

The project also includes the renovation of the judiciary's chambers. A building in Strait Street and the building behind it, leading to Old Bakery Street, are to be converted into the chambers that would include the required facilities.

The major project also incorporates the construction of the new administration block on the roof, as well as the transfer of the lock-up to the basement.

A project for the archives is also in the pipeline, while the criminal registry would also be refurbished, Mr Theuma said.

The law courts are also being extended to the surrounding arcades on Strait Street, while a call for tenders has been issued for the setting up of a state-of-the-art recording system in the court rooms.