Leaking roof and fears of mold are now plaguing St. John’s Magistrate Court in its ‘new’ home at Knuckle Block

Concerns are being expressed by some attorneys and by staff at the
St. John’s Magistrates’ Court that mold could be growing inside the
building – in particular, in one courtroom and two other areas.
 
Reports say the roof of the building is leaking and that water has
now penetrated the Knuckle Block facility, which was built as a
community centre.
 
A source says that water had been discovered leaking into a
bathroom, and Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh had notified the
Ministry of Works about it.
 
Reportedly, after the problem was checked, it was determined that
some type of sealant would be required to cover the entire roof to
prevent further leaking. However, it would be costly to acquire, the
Ministry reportedly said, and the Government did not have the
financial resources to get it done.
 
Therefore, nothing was done to address the leaking roof and the
situation worsened, spreading into the Traffic Court and, now, into a
hallway.
 
The clerk of the Traffic Court reportedly then complained to the
court supervisor and, subsequently, notified the Ministry of Health
about the leaking roof.
 
An official from that ministry reportedly was dispatched, in July, to
conduct checks; but, at that time, there was only leaking water and
no mold was found.

However, since then, a musty odour has developed, prompting fears
that it could be mold, which has the potential to spread rapidly.
 
Meanwhile, as a result of water leaking into the Traffic Court,
Magistrate Dexter Wason had moved his operations.
 
A source says that since he now uses the chief magistrate’s
courtroom, he had assigned his to Magistrate Dane Hamilton for civil
cases, despite knowing that there was an issue.  
 
The source says that court officials appear not to be interested in
dealing with the issue and health officials have not been notified of
the odour and continued leaking.
 
It was mold, leaking roofs and other health concerns that forced the
Court to move from its High Street home in the first place. Now a
similar situation is brewing ,which could result in health issues
among the staff.