Judges say Summerside's courthouse needs to be replaced for safety, accessibility reasons

Judges and staff who work at Prince County courthouse in Summerside, P.E.I.,say it needs to be replaced.

The historic red-brick building is almost 150 years old, andhas significant limitations when it comes to accessibility, security and overall operations.

Officials, including Summersideprovincial court Judge Krista MacKay, took P.E.I. Justice and Public Safety Minister Bloyce Thompson on a tour of the courthouse on Tuesday.

MacKay highlighted some of the building's biggest challenges:

The cramped first floor where people wait outside on a steep cement step to go through security screening. Limited space outside the main courtroom wherepeople often need to sit on the floor or in the stairwell while they wait to go into court on busierdays. Adoor through whichpeople beingheld in custody must pass to enter the courtroom only an arm's length away from the judge's bench.

Crown attorneys sit in front ofdefence lawyers in the courtroom because there isn't enough space to put their twotables next to each other.MacKay said this creates a security concern because sometimes there are people at the defence table who are not happy with what is being said about them by the Crown.

'We do need a new courthouse'

"I would like to say we could just make the changes here that are necessary but I don't think this building could be retrofitfor what we need," she said. "So, really, I think we do need a new courthouse."

The province has issued a request for proposals for a new courthouse that will lay out the building's needs.

Then, Thompson said he hopes to find money inthe next provincial budget to start construction.

The justice minister hopesthe new courthouse can be home toboth the provincial and Supreme courts.The Supreme Court wasrelocated to Slemon Park during the COVID-19 pandemic because its courtroom was too small, and it's stayed there ever since.

'It's served its purpose'

Thompson said it's too soon to say when construction could start, or how much a new courthouse would cost.

Here's why a new courthouse is being planned for Summerside

2 months ago

Duration 1:50

Prince County courthouse in Summerside is 150 years old and starting to show its age. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau toured the historic building with P.E.I. Justice Minister Bloyce Thompson and provincial court Judge Krista MacKay to learn about the facility's accessibility and safety issues, and what's being planned for the future.

"This is an historic building, a beautiful old building, but it's served its purpose and it's time to have a new courthouse here in Summerside," Thompson said.

"It's important that we have a proper courthouse here for provincial court and Supreme Court here in Summerside."

Officials said a new courthouse would also include holding cells.

The basement of the current buildinghousesinmates serving sentences ofup to two years less a day, which is the maximum provincial jail sentence. Those quarters are also old and outdated.

'It's notideal'

Tracey Clements, chief justice of the Supreme Court of P.E.I., said there are also challenges with having her courtroom off-site.

"We are making do, " Clementssaid.

"I mean, the filings all still happen in [Prince County courthouse] so files need to go back and forth, security needs to be addressed in both buildings. I think it's fair to say it's not ideal."

Summerside Mayor Dan Kutcher said in an email to CBC News that thecourthouse is in need of replacement, and hopes anew building can be constructed in the city's downtown.

MacKay said she'd like to see the new courthouse built as soon as possible to ensure the safety and security of all those who use the building.

"I haven't had an incident with [an inmate] going by me that they've tried to do anything, but that could happen any day," MacKay said.

"There are issues with security of the parking and how I enter the courthouse. I have people approaching me as I'm trying to enter, people that I am going to be seeing in court shortly, so that's obviously not ideal."