NEW COURT BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15326, 12 June 1913, Page 8

NEW COURT BUILDINGS.

. NEARLY READY FOR USE. - «V;- r . r ■ MUCH-NEEDED ACCOMMODATION. t .. • ' ' ■'•' •• ■ ■-' ' *'. "r The new Magistrate Court- ■ buildings are *>.'■*: v now"nearly completed, much, to the grati- ; fication of officials and lawyers, who have been • put. to great _ inconvenience in the past owing to the inadequate. accommoda- : tion- provided in : the . old buildings. . v J ' .. 'The new buildings face the Albert Park, • the main entrance being, from .- Cpburg / Street. The handsome front of: the struc- ;" , ture is of white Oamarti stone, with a base of*' grey Coromandel granite. The groundf --in .front •of the new '.court has been railed off, - and this ' space- will be subsequently " • -laid, out in turf and- flower bed's. "A 'flight• • ' of " broad 'granite', steps leads into a tiled' ' ; vestibule and hall. Immediately to the -left of the -ma in entrance is the general and-public office',', a)well-lighted and . spavJiC't - cious room. On J the ground floor ris , the "7criminal. court, \yhere all the. ordinary r 1 ; police.,court ' business ; will be transacted. ,V' - V '• This!lofty. -.room measures 51ft by 26ft, and' - 'is - well - lighted all along its northern sider •. by tall windows. All the fittings in this Aj room, as in the remainder <pf,the building,, are ;of flat 'polished ruriu.'' The prisoners; ' i ; are l provided - -with a handsome dock, -and • a massive rail marks off the.spaee' reserved '•'fOT^the'public. Opening' directly front this court is , the magistrate's private room. , ' Waiting-rooms of spacious dimensions are ; provided for 1 male and . female witnesses ; , separately,-also rooms for prisoners await- > ing" trial, lunatics, and court officials. • .U - ; The upper floor of the building, which ' t is reached by a concrete staircase, isar-

ranged on much the same plain. as the h ground", floor. - There is 1 * the eame-sized ' v court-room for, the transaction of civil ; business. In addition to the magistrate's ?; room and waiting-rooms there are on the • upper floor two other" big rooms, one of

which will be ' utilised in the event of a v third magistrate being in attendance, and the other for the court library. In the basement of the building" is a ■'.■j; substantial strong-room for the storage of court records. There is ' also a. pair of i ' boilers, which by means of a system of i hot water pipes under every lloor will ■ >; maintain an equable'temperature through- ' out the building. All the rooms and cor- •'. ridors, the walls of which are of. white plaster, are fitted with electric light, and .J ail the latest fire-fighting appliances are ' installed. There are several side entrances ' i into the building, and the public are proV vided with the latest sanitary conveniences. .. The Government architect (Mr. J. C. '"Cairipbell) prepared the plans for the ' ".building. ' The* contract was let to Mr. W. E. Hutchison for £14,900, but subsequent alterations have increased the cost a little. The building is now ready for the furniture, all of which, it is understood, will be new- By tha end of next month, ;::at the latest, it is anticipated that the new court will be in full use. The old court buildings will be utilised, by .the Lands and Deeds Oliice.