Court officials have confiscated 200 weapons including knives, scissors, rat tail combs and screwdrivers from individuals entering the new Magistrates’ Court Complex, according to Officer-in-Charge of the Magistrates Court Superintendent Oscar Sands.
Officials highlighted a string of security issues at the courts yesterday during a tour.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Allyson Maynard Gibson also took part in the tour.
Court officials said even the criminals are crafty in creating weapons.
Superintendent Sands revealed that most of the weapons like the rat tail combs, scissors and other small items are found in women’s bags and even different body parts.
So far, two people have been charged for having dangerous weapons.
Superintendent Sands bemoaned several security flaws, including the metal doors at the entrance, which cause the security scanners to malfunction. That forces officers to use handheld metal detectors to search people.
“Let’s say an incident happened, the danger of it is if we as police officers don’t properly search people here, a family member could sit here with a scissors, a rat tail comb and people who go to court could be attacked by a family member,” Superintendent Sands said.
“If we are slack on this door then that means that someone could walk in here with a gun and then we have a problem in here.”
Minister Maynard-Gibson noted that Superintendent Sands presented a list of recommendations, which she and State Minister of Legal Affairs Damian Gomez are reviewing.
She assured that the government is moving swiftly to address the concerns brought forth.
“We are very serious about the administration of justice; we are very serious about ensuring that everybody who in is in the precinct of this building knows that they are in a sterile environment where law and order are paramount,” she said.
“We want to be satisfied in this democracy where rule of law is supreme that we are giving those who are in charge of security the ability to assure the security of everybody who is in the building whether you are actively participating any matter as prosecutor or defence, police person, a victim, family of a victim or just somebody who wants to see the administration of justice. Everyone in this building must be safe.”
Meantime, Minister Gomez said justice will be swift for those people found attempting to smuggle weapons into the courts.
“All persons who are found with weapons entering into court facilities, whether they be here or anywhere else will be quickly prosecuted and we will seek major terms of imprisonment because this is an assault on the court system and the rule of law itself,” he said.
