The decision to move the court follows long consultations on the matter,consultations which the Judiciary characterises as "wide-ranging" and notes that it remains open to discussion on the matter. Sirjoo has, however, counter claimed that he was not part of those consultations.
The problems that have arisen with lawyers working out of Central Trinidad regarding the move of court operations from Chaguanas to Tunapuna seems surprising.
The state of the Chaguanas court has been an issue of contention both for practising lawyers and for the Judiciary for at least a decade now.
But from the tone of things, the Central Lawyers' Association seemed stunned that the move will happen today.
Richard Sirjoo, president of the association, claims that alternative suggestions by the lawyers were ignored. Central to the recommendations by the lawyers was a suggestion that a building on Ramsaran Street, Chaguanas, be refurbished for use as a temporary court while the new court complex is being built.
In response, the Judiciary's Court Protocol and Information Unit noted that other accommodations in Chaguanas had been reviewed but such properties were "either not in compliance with the guidelines as stipulated or required significant refurbishment to make them able to accommodate the very peculiar needs of a court."
The decision to move the court follows long consultations on the matter, consultations which the Judiciary characterises as "wide-ranging" and notes that it remains open to discussion on the matter. Sirjoo has, however, counter claimed that he was not part of those consultations.
In July, facing the continuing challenges arising from a wholly inadequate and increasingly fragile Chaguanas Court building, the decision was made by Cabinet to refit the building earmarked for the Chaguanas library into a new magistrates' court.
This caused a bit of fuss as well, but Minister of Planning Dr Bhoe Tewarie was quick to assure the people of Central Trinidad that they would get a library in due time as part of extensive projects to develop the borough's infrastructure and public amenities.
Alongside the overdue need to address the Chaguanas Magistrates' Court are plans to establish a High Court in the borough, which is being developed not just to improve its cramped main access roads, but also to declare it a city.
The Planning Minister noted that it was a priority to create a new, more capable courthouse to deal with the caseload clogging the existing court.
What seems to have been missing from all these discussions, made all the clearer by the divergent opinions on the quality of prior consultations, is a meeting of the minds, in the service of clarity and mutual respect, between the lawyers affected by the move and the Judiciary.
It's long been clear that the conditions at the Chaguanas court were intolerable and that there was desperate need for change.
The new structure will take a year to complete and will pose challenges not just for Chaguanas-based lawyers.
The move will multiply the demands on the Tunapuna courts and significant efforts must be invested to ensure that cases are scheduled efficiently and that already precious court time is managed optimally.
In the face of such immediate real world demands, it seems that best interests of both the Central Lawyers' Association and the Judiciary will be served by maintaining contact on the matter and exploring ways to ensure that the temporary move is executed in the best interests of the public and the effective management of the judicial process.