Business as usual today

NO PRISONERS  were brought to the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday, by order of Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls because the water supply was turned on only at 11 am. Court hearings usually start at 9 am.

McNicolls said he issued the order because he felt it was not “prudent” for the prisoners to be brought to the courthouse at such a late hour, especially since it could hamper the security arrangements made  around the Red House  in preparation for the 2004 Budget Presentation. The St Vincent Street court, which had been shut down Wednesday by Chief Justice Sat Sharma, had been operating  without a supply of water for over a week. Additionally, the recently opened wing of the courthouse had been experiencing major plumbing problems. Speaking to the media at  his office in the new wing of the building, McNicolls yesterday said the plumbing problems had since been rectified and demonstrated this by walking into the washroom and turning on the tap. McNicolls expects that it will be business as usual at the courthouse today. Despite the early morning water woes, regular matters involving litigants out on bail, were  attended to in the various courts. However, the majority of  these matters were just called and adjourned to a later date.