Family court soon in San Fernando

The former convent ... soon to be the new San Fernando Family Court

The government of Trinidad and Tobago is investing $151 million for a Family Court in San Fernando.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan told reporters Thursday the plan is to convert the former St Joseph's Convent into the new facility. That would involve payment of $30 million to the St Joseph Sisters of Cluny for the property.

He explained the money approved Thursday by Cabinet “will be spent to refurbish and expand for the fit out of the property to accommodate the Family Court in San Fernando.” 

Ramlogan stated that there has been a steady increase in the number of family-related cases between 2009 and this year, with most occurring from 2011. 

“From a base 8,070 cases in 2009 to 2010, the overall case load has increased over the following three years by five percent to 8,941 in 2012, 2013,” Ramlogan said.

Ramlogan said Cabinet’s decision to construct the facility is reinforced by “so much publicity in recent times about the breakdown in family life and the negative social consequences of that.” 

He said the Family Court is a “sophisticated one stop shop for family justice that will augur well for the social fabric of our nation” and added that such a facility in the city would greatly relieve the workload of the San Fernando High Court.

“This court will provide reinforcement and social support for the matrimonial services that the Judiciary provides. It will also boost the San Fernando Supreme Court which deals with a large amount of matrimonial matters and will assist in that regard, in no small way,” he stated.

The AG noted that the Family Court in Port-of-Spain “has been an outstanding success story for the administration of justice and the Judiciary.”