Employees in the Supreme Court Registry have worked in appalling conditions for the past few weeks, The Nassau Guardian was informed. The Registry, which is responsible for the administration of the courts, reportedly sustained roof damage during the passage of Hurricane Irene in August. The leaking roof at Ansbacher House has resulted in mold forming in the building and some staff members have reportedly fallen ill, according to sources. Court files have also received water damage, sources said.

When The Nassau Guardian visited the Registry last week, the air conditioning system was not working.  Missing ceiling tiles exposed the wiring in the roof and staff used buckets to catch water that dripped from the roof. Lawyer Elsworth Johnson described the working conditions as inhumane. Johnson, who is also vice-president of the Bahamas Bar Association, was speaking in his personal capacity as a lawyer.  Johnson said that previously poor working conditions had "been exacerbated by the storm."

He said, "The Registry is the hub of the administration of justice.  All the files are stored there and they administer the working of the court."

Johnson said he appeared before Deputy Registrar Ernie Wallace last week and he was "embarrassed" by the conditions of the building, which in his opinion undermined the administration of justice.

Lawyer Michael Hanna also weighed in.  He said, "I empathize with the people who work there. They go through hell every day.  The renovation of Ansbacher House has been taking quite some time.  It's like the roads.  The courts are all dug up."

Hanna said it was "not surprising" that the government did not make repairs to the courts a priority because of the impending elections.

He said, "An election is coming up and there are some constituencies that must be won.  They're not checking for the courts and the judges."

Government signed a $2 million contract last year to renovate the building.  However, the new courtrooms also received water damage during the storm.  The sheet rock partitioning will reportedly have to be re-done. Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett inspected the damage last week.

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