(Jamaica Observer) All cases that were set to be heard today at the Manchester Parish Court have been adjourned following an early morning fire that damaged a section of the building.
Preliminary reports are that the fire started sometime after 4:00 am in a judge’s office on the upper floor.
Director of Communications at the Court Management Services Kadiesh Fletcher said in radio interview early Thursday that “all matters set for today will be adjourned and persons who had matters set for today are being asked to make contact with the court, starting tomorrow for an update on when those matters would be rescheduled to”.
Built in 1817, the two-storey courthouse in Mandeville is designated as a heritage site.
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck has said that construction of a new courthouse should begin soon to replace the historic building which is too small and unsuitable for the many cases it must deal with.
Plans for the construction of a building on a 40-acre site, west of Mandeville, have been on hold because of objections from leading interests in the town who argue that it is too far away from the town.
