REAL NEWS – Concerns are being expressed by some attorneys and by staff at the St. John’s Magistrates’ Court that mold could be growing inside the building – in particular, in one courtroom and two other areas.
Reports say the roof of the building is leaking and that water has now penetrated the Knuckle Block facility, which was built as a community centre.
A source says that water had been discovered leaking into a bathroom, and Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh had notified the Ministry of Works about it.
Reportedly, after the problem was checked, it was determined that some type of sealant would be required to cover the entire roof to prevent further leaking.
However, it would be costly to acquire, the Ministry reportedly said, and the Government did not have the financial resources to get it done.
Therefore, nothing was done to address the leaking roof and the situation worsened, spreading into the Traffic Court and, now, into a hallway.
The clerk of the Traffic Court reportedly then complained to the court supervisor and, subsequently, notified the Ministry of Health about the leaking roof.
An official from that ministry reportedly was dispatched, in July, to conduct checks; but, at that time, there was only leaking water and no mold was found.
However, since then, a musty odour has developed, prompting fears that it could be mold, which has the potential to spread rapidly.
Meanwhile, as a result of water leaking into the Traffic Court, Magistrate Dexter Wason had moved his operations.
A source says that since he now uses the chief magistrate’s courtroom, he had assigned his to Magistrate Dane Hamilton for civil cases, despite knowing that there was an issue.
The source says that court officials appear not to be interested in dealing with the issue and health officials have not been notified of the odour and continued leaking.
It was mold, leaking roofs and other health concerns that forced the Court to move from its High Street home in the first place.
Now a similar situation is brewing ,which could result in health issues among the staff.
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