Halton court house issues

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Halton’s police chief says the region’s court house is horrendous and needs to be replaced. Chief Stephen Tanner wonders why nothing has been done months after he took Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur for a tour, and she agreed with him.

Durham, Waterloo, Thunder Bay, Elgin and Quinte have all gotten new courthouses in the last 5 years and another has been planned for downtown Toronto.

Tanner says the whole building on Steeles ave in Milton should be razed and a whole new facility needs to be built. Courtroom 10 in the basement is being renovated so it can take overflow from Brampton while that courthouse gets an addition.

Criminal lawyer Brendan Neil says that’s only one issue related to the aging structure that houses Superior and Ontario courts for Halton region. ” Shingles falling from the ceiling in a courtroom during a court proceeding or all the sudden a flood of water coming down.”

He says criminal cases are now being booked in the middle of next year. “Every time something happens because of the physical condition of the building we get further delays with each case, criminal, civil, family they all get pushed back, so it’s an access to justice issue as well.”

Access itself is a problem as well, the elevator could be out for months so anyone with mobility issues has to be escorted through the side door and the judges’ corridor and you need a car to get here from North or South, there is no bus.