AG: Sando to get $151m family court
Cabinet has approved $150.8 million for the construction of a family court in San Fernando, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan announced yesterday.
He was speaking at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Prime Minister’s office in St Clair.
Ramlogan said this money would be spent to refurbish, expand and outfit the facility to accommodate the family court.
Noting that the family court in Port of Spain has been an astounding success, Ramlogan said from a base of 8,070 cases in 2009-2010, the overall case load of the family court has increased to 8,941 cases in 2012-2013.
“Coming on the heels of so much publicity about the breakdown in family life and the negative social consequences of that, we think that this court—which is a one-stop shop, which includes the availability of on-site alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and processes, such as mediation, social work intervention, probation and child and youth day care services—this court would provide reinforcement and support for the matrimonial services that the judiciary provides.”
Ramlogan said the San Fernando family court would boost the services of the San Fernando Supreme Court, which deals with a large number of matrimonial matters.
The Attorney General said the Government was pleased to partner with the judiciary to provide this money “so that we can have the family court in San Fernando”.
The family court deals with legal custody, paternity, adoption, petitions for divorce, wardship and financial relief, breaching of school rules, attachment of earnings, mediation and social services, among other things.
On March 15, 2012, Cabinet agreed to pay $30 million to the St Joseph Sisters of Cluny as full and final settlement for the purchase of the property located at the St Joseph Convent compound at the corner of Lord and Paradise Streets, San Fernando, to house the San Fernando Family Court.