Henry Forde and David Simmons Legal and Judicial Complex Opened

Modern legislation for the protection of children will be going to Parliament shortly.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley shared this news as she delivered the keynote address at the Official Reopening and Renaming Ceremony of the Old Supreme Court Complex, last Friday night. The building now bears the name – Henry Forde and David Simmons Legal and Judicial Complex, after two of Barbados’ outstanding legal luminaries and former Attorneys General.

Ms. Mottley told her audience:  “I’m happy that between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of People Empowerment, both Ministers…will soon be in a position to deliver to the Parliament of Barbados modernised legislation for the handling of the protection of children, and justice related to children in this country. It has taken too long for us to reach this point but alas, we are at that point where a Bill can become an Act….”

During her wide-ranging address, the Prime Minister said former Attorney General and Chief Justice, Sir David Simmons, had done a significant amount of work to ensure that the journey of penal reform was started.

“But we must now go further. And to that extent, I hope, Attorney General, that we will be in a position to ensure that criminal penalties are reserved for those who commit crime, and that we stop fining and confining for every regulatory breach in this country because it takes away from the seriousness of what the penalty of imprisonment ought to mean in this country….

“There must be other ways for us to ensure that people can pay their penalties without necessarily depriving them, and by extension their families, from a source of living in order to be able to sustain them as they go forward,” she stated.

Ms. Mottley said Government had boosted and would continue to boost the resources of The Barbados Police Service. She added that a framework had been settled on, to ensure that the needed institutional strengthening in the Service was carried out as a matter of urgency.

“There are many opportunities for those of you who want to serve in The Barbados Police Service….  I hope…that many more Barbadians will see this as a viable career as we go forward,” she stated.

The Prime Minister said Sir Henry Forde and Sir David Simmons had spent more than 50 years practising law and empowering ordinary Barbadians, and were indeed deserving of the honour.

After sharing important history about the Coleridge Street, St. Michael site dating back to the 1700’s, Attorney General Dale Marshall said it was imperative that the buildings be brought back into service.

Mr. Marshall disclosed that the new complex would house the Community Legal Services Commission; the Law Reform Commission; the Coroner’s Court; the Traffic Court, and two District Criminal Courts. He added that the Old Town Hall would be completed next March, and it would accommodate facilities for Alternate Dispute Resolution, and the Employment Rights Tribunal, among others.

“The completion of this Complex has provided a face-lift for this part of Bridgetown and complements the significant work that was undertaken on the old Jewish Synagogue, a stone’s throw away,” he noted.

Describing Sir Henry and Sir David as “two titans”, Mr. Marshall surmised: “Each served this country faithfully, and with aplomb as our Attorney General. I have personally benefited from their sage advice and drawn from their depth of experience and intellect. Barbados owes you both a debt of gratitude….” 

In his remarks, Chief Justice Sir Patterson Cheltenham, noted that Sir Henry and Sir David represented excellence. He said he knew both of them from his early days at the Bar, and opined that they populated the statute book with new, exciting and thoughtful legislation. (PR/GIS)