Lawyers complain of heat in courts

After an almost two-month vacation, proceedings at the High Court resumed on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at Court #1 in Kingstown. However, some lawyers were displeased when they returned to the courtroom and were greeted with “unacceptable” conditions.

“I was in Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, I let that pass,” lawyer Grant Connell, who is a constant advocate for upholding certain standards in the courtroom, said to Justice Rickie Burnett during an arraignment proceeding.

He said that all the lawyers at the Bar were sweating, and the police officers were inhaling mould, and he was raising these issues to look out for the well-being of his colleagues in the courtroom.

“I am speaking for you, judge. You don’t even have a fan,” Connell said.

Lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste supported the comments and described the heat as unacceptable.

“…sweat is pouring from my face…” Defence Counsel Kay Bacchus-Baptiste told the court, adding that she believed she raised this issue at the last assizes.

Bacchus-Baptiste said that she was looking to see if Justice Burnett had a fan and realized that not even he has one.

Before leaving the courtroom, President of the Bar Association Shirlan ‘Zita’ Barnwell also chimed in on the matter.

She was told by Justice Burnett that she would be called during these assizes to assist the court. Barnwell responded that she hopes the conditions under which she is called are improved.

Barnwell said she had also hoped that repairs for the new building (the former Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines) where High Court proceedings will be held, would have been completed by the commencement of these assizes, but learnt that “there is still much more work to be done.”

Justice Burnett informed the court that he was only stationed at High Court #1 for the arraignment exercises, and will return to his own court to preside over upcoming matters.

When Justice Burnett asked if anyone else wished to share their concerns about the conditions in the courtroom, no one else commented.

At the time that these concerns were raised, two Crown Counsels and one Defence Counsel were present at the bar alongside Connell and Barnwell. Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) Sejilla McDowld, and Assistant DPP Karim Nelson were also present in court, but not at the bar table. The air conditioning systems were inoperable and there were no fans or any other machinery providing ventilation in the courtroom.