THE Assembly of Southern Lawyers (ASL) has made an impassioned plea for the physical reopening and more courts in south, claiming legal professionals in the south are being treated as second tier, and litigants are being denied justice owing to the lack of physical space to hear trials.
At the ASL's Christmas dinner on November 22 at Paria Suites Hotel, La Romaine, immediate past president, attorney Michael Rooplal, said because of the lack of physical space to hear trials, accused people are now being given court dates for 2026 and beyond.
'We must recognise the southern legal community is being treated as second-class citizens, second-class lawyers by the powers that be. We continue to not have any operational courts in San Fernando and the time has come for us to consider some other means to drive the point home and for citizens and legal practitioners south of the Caroni River to be taken seriously,' he said.
ASL president Saira Lakhan, in her address to the audience which included former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, SC, Israel Khan SC and Fyzabad MP Dr Lackram Bodoe, said, 'The reality is the San Fernando High Court has been closed (since August 2023) and there have been no frequent updates from the judiciary or transparent or open updates as to when that court will be reopened or whether an alternate court could be used.
Infrastructural upgrades was the reason given for the closure of the High Court.
The San Fernando magistrates court was also torn down after an earthquake caused structural concerns, and a new district court was promised,
Rooplal, in an interview on November 23, said this is highly unacceptable.
After the demolition of the old magistrates court on Harris Promenade and Penitence Streets, Rooplal recalled then Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi 'promised with a lot of fanfare and flair, a district court.
'That district court was supposed to be opened two years ago. The foundation is there, but there is no structure. Nothing is going on. There is security there at nights, but we have no word as to what is taking place with a court for San Fernando.'
He said letters written to the CJ during his five years as ASL president, 'on pertinent issues affecting southern lawyers, never received a response from the CJ. I got acknowledgement e-mails from his assistant, that the letters were received.
Rooplal said the southern community, as far as Cedros, Point Fortin, Rio Claro, Mayaro are being served by two courts in Princes Town for trials by jury - Assize matters.
The old Princes Town court is no longer operational, and a district court is now in use to service the entire southern area.
There is one other court setup for trial at the UTT facility in O'meara, along with courts located at the Port of Spain Waterfront.
'This is wholly insufficient.'
He said the Medina Building, San Fernando, which has three rooms available, but only two are in operation, is being used as a virtual access centre (VAC). This facility is used when witnesses have to give live evidence.
'A
