Nunavut Court of Justice to undergo $735,000 renovation

Nunavut's only courthouse is set to undergo it's biggest renovation ever, in part because the court staff and the judiciary have outgrown the office space.

The renovations, set to begin in April with a $735,600 price tag, will create 14 new workspaces, along with security upgrades and other improvements.

"We're using the renovations to create more usable workspace from spaces that weren't as functional as they could have been, based on our current demands for staff," said Joe Kucharski, Nunavut'sdirector of court services.

"We're just better utilizing and maximizing some open spaces that, years ago, maybe they didn't realize the number of staff they'd need looking into the future. It's very hard to predict the demands on courts."

When the Nunavut Court of Justice was opened in 2007, it had 40 staffers, excluding the judiciary. The courthouse is now home to 56 staff, because of increased workload, and the Government of Nunavut says they could hire more as demands on court services continues to pile on and not only for court cases.

"Sometimes people don't know or understand that court services is actually responsible for a huge number of programs thatnot only deliver judicial, but quasi-judicial services," Kucharski said.

"Even though crimes rates can affect workload, we're seeing an increase in the number of the complexity of cases, which take longer to work their way through the courts and take more staffing resources."

Including judicial duties, Nunavut's court service is responsible for 14 different quasi-judicial bodies, including the Federal Court of Appeal and tax court, Nunavut's Coroner's office, the Nunavut liquor licensing board, and the labour standards board, among others.

Improved fencing, security

Along with the additional work space, the renovation will also beef up security.

The registry office will have a wicket window built which will create some separation from staffers and visitors, and the outdoor prisoner walkway will have improved fencing, complete with barbwire, a roof and a much larger, fenced-in enclosure for RCMP transport vans to park and drop off or pick up prisoners.

In 2014, a prisoner escaped while being escorted into the courthouse after freeing himself fromhis restraints and running away.

Right now there isn't any enclosed fence preventing prisoners from running away. That will change with the new fenceenclosure, where the RCMP prisoner escort vehiclewill drive straight into a securearea.

Kucharski says the wicket system idea was mostly to create more space, but it also enhances security for staff. He says increasing the prisoner entrance will be safer for the RCMP, sheriffs and inmates.

The renovations aren't expected to affectcourt proceedings. Kucharski says if need be, there are offsite locations in Iqaluit they can use to hold court.

The interior work is expected to be completed by July. The exterior work by October. The Inuit labour requirement for the project is 35 per cent.