Don’t repeat justice precinct, judge urges
A top judge hopes the concept of Christchurch’s ‘‘magnificent’’ new Justice and Emergency Services Precinct will not be repeated.
President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Stephen Kos, made his comments after seeing the new complex of buildings stretching between Lichfield and Tuam streets, which houses the courts, police, the Public Defence Office and emergency services.
He added his views to those of senior Christchurch lawyers Nigel Hampton QC and Jonathan Eaton QC, who expressed opposition to the courts and police being linked so closely.
‘‘The precinct is a magnificent achievement, but it is one I hope we never repeat,’’ said Justice Kos.
‘‘I think, every day in small towns around the country we give school children a lesson in civics when they walk down the street and see the police station on one side of the road and the court house on the other. It is symbolic of the functional disconnection between the branches of government. It is an important lesson,’’ he said.
The new precinct jammed together the courts with the police, Corrections and the Public Defence Service office. The symbolism given by the usual separation had been lost. ‘‘It is an important lesson that should not be dropped.’’
However, he said the new facilities were better than the ‘‘appalling’’ Court House in Durham St.
‘‘I can see that here the facilities are better for the public, for jurors and frankly for judges,’’ Justice Kos said.
He and judges from the Wellington-based Court of Appeal sat in the new precinct for the first time this week, hearing local appeals.
The court regularly sits in Auckland, but only resumed its sittings in Christchurch last year, six years after the quakes, when it heard cases in the old Durham St court house before the courts moved to the new precinct in November.
The Court of Appeal issues more than 600 judgments a year, with 10 judges, who sit three-ata-time on each case. Its main task is to ‘‘superintend’’ jury trials all over the country.