Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Halls of Justice Project in final stage of development — Premier

Halls of Justice Project in final stage of development — Premier

Premier Andrew Fahie has said the Halls of Justice building project is in its final stage of development and more meetings are expected to happen for the project shortly.
At a recent press conference, the Premier said he will be making some announcements within the next month to update the public on what is happening.

“There is a lot of technical work that had to be done with that, let me make that extremely clear,” the Premier said.

Fahie also noted COVID-19 heavily impacted the completion of the project and people must take it into consideration.

“Some persons want us to not speak about COVID when we are talking about monies and projects but the truth of the matter is COVID-19 happened and it took us a lot to deviate funds to keep this country running and now we have to start to see the economy bouncing back,” Fahie said.

“It’s not looking at excuses, but it is a fact. We had a time when we had to pay all public officers which is the bulk of the budget and we still had to pay some expenses that we met including lawsuits that we lost in terms of government before my tenure, but we had to pay them now,” the Premier added.

Fahie, who is also the Minister of Finance, said because things are slowly going back to normal, people are naming every project, saying things must be done. However, the Premier reiterated that there were financial challenges his government had to overcome and steer the ‘boat’ through the unprecedented financial waters to restart the economy.

“Remember we had lockdown and businesses weren’t functioning because of this COVID-19 and we navigated that, and we are at a place where we can get more projects done and get things done. Some were deferred, some were delayed so we will not get all that we want to be done as a result,” the Finance Minister said.

In the recent 2022 Standing Finance Committee (SFC) Report, the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s Office Sharleen Dabreo-Lettsome indicated the court needed to be moved from its current location in John’s Hole. Dabreo-Lettsome said the cost of the move would be $108,000 for rent and $60,000 for outfitting.

The design phase of the Magistrate’s Court is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2021 and construction was projected to be completed in 2022. The Halls of Justice Project is being funded under the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Loan (RRL) from the Caribbean Development Bank, which was secured by the government to assist with the recovery of the territory after Hurricane Irma. The Virgin Islands government as well as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is also helping with the funds.

In his 2020 budget speech, Fahie said the government takes the matter of justice and security very seriously and that the redevelopment of the Magistrate’s Court would be given priority and receive funding in the 2020 budget estimates. The Premier boasted his government would develop a resilient and SMART court facility for Virgin Island. The Magistrate’s Court currently sits in a temporary structure that was built in July 2018.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×