Fire razed sections of the Manchester Parish Courthouse earlier today (November 7, 2019), leaving the Judges’ Chamber and its immediate precincts destroyed.
An investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the fire.
The cost of damage is also unclear as assessments are still being carried out.
Reports are that the Security Guard on the compound saw fire coming from the roof of the building around 4 o’clock in the morning.
He alerted the police who then called the fire department who arrived on the scene quickly and were able to contain the blaze to a section of the building,
As a result, court sessions for the day were adjourned and cases were postponed.
Director of Communications at the Court Management Services, Kadiesh Fletcher says the details are sketchy at this time.
Office furniture are among the things damaged by the the blaze and water also damaged some files.
Fletcher says the court system has been conducting operations to mitigate against disasters such as this one.
She is advising persons with scheduled cases to contact the court for an update on when those matters will be rescheduled.
Meanwhile Mayor of Mandeville, Donovan Mitchell says there may be plans of a complete relocation of the court as a land space has been identified and the paper works are being sorted.
He notes that the building is owned by the Heritage Trust and he is not aware if it was insured.
Mitchell however states that when repairs are completed the building could be used for a museum or other purposes to benefit the people of Manchester.
