Seeking confirmation: Is the Shelburne courthouse moving back to Barrington?

Seven years after closing up shop in the Municipality of Barrington, it appears the provincial Department of Justice is moving back.

Since last summer, the five Shelburne County wardens and mayors have been trying to get an answer from the Department of Justice on the future of court proceedings in the county after March 31, when the current lease for space with the Municipality of Shelburne expires.

A letter received by the Town of Shelburne at their Jan. 15 council session from Attorney General and Minister of Justice Brad Johns said the Department of Justice will not be seeking an extension of its lease beyond March 2024 in the former Shelburne municipal building on Hammond Street in Shelburne.

“I am pleased to advise that we will continue discussions with the Municipality of Barrington to explore moving our satellite court operations to this area,” wrote the minister. “We are currently reviewing audit results of the cellblock and other upgrades that would allow for this location to become operational and completing a fit-up cost assessment.”

While the Department of Justice did a site visit on Jan. 11 at the Barrington Municipal Administrative Centre, no formal requests have been made and no specifics have been discussed, said Barrington CAO Chris Frotten at the time this story was written.

“All of the spaces are still laid out as they were when we had court services but most of the contents have been removed and the spaces have been repurposed,” said Frotten.

The last time a court session was scheduled to be held in Barrington was Aug. 27, 2017. The Department of Justice offices were vacated a month later.

“While we are committed to exploring opportunities to have a satellite courthouse in Shelburne County, I also want to ensure you are aware of recent technology advancements being made to enhance access to justice across the province,” wrote Minster Johns, adding it is now possible to make fine payments on-line.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, courts increasingly relied on video conferencing platforms and other technologies, which enabled courthouse users to access justice without having to go to a courthouse. Use of these technologies continue today and continue to grow,” he said.

In 2021 the Nova Scotia Judiciary and the Nova Scotia Department of Justice established a joint Digital Task Force, which is exploring more ways to use technology in the court system, informed the minister.

“The goals of the digital transformation are to identify ways to use technology in the courts to improve access to justice, increase simplicity and efficiency, improve outcomes for citizens and maintain trust and confidence in the court system.”

Shelburne Municipal CAO Warren MacLeod said the municipality remains open to the possibility of extending the Department of Justice lease on a month-by-month basis beyond its expiration on March 31.

“This extension is intended to support and facilitate the transition of court services to the Barrington location, and we remain committed to this course of action,” he said.

Seeking answer

The five Shelburne County mayors and wardens wrote Minister Johns last June requesting an update from his department on the current operations of the services and a commitment that the services will remain in Shelburne County for the foreseeable future.

“For centuries, court services have been provided in our county through the current Shelburne Courthouse and the former Barrington Courthouse. That said, over the last few years we have seen a decline in the level of service in our county that has had a negative impact on our residents’ ability to access these services and has created a financial and operational burden on our policing service which, in turn, directly impacts safety in our municipalities,” wrote the community leaders.

The officials noted first off, the Barrington Courthouse was closed in 2017 after a consolidation of justice centres in an effort to save costs.

“This may have had created operational efficiencies, but it resulted in residents of the western side of the municipality having to travel to Shelburne or worse, Yarmouth, to access court services,” they wrote. “Second, the condition of the Shelburne Courthouse is deteriorating, recently resulting in the lockups being condemned. This has forced our police force to transport prisoners to Yarmouth, Saulnierville or Bridgewater – resulting in one to two members being away from the county for four to eight hours in any given day.

“People who use your courts, whether they are attending a hearing, paying a fine or accessing Legal Aid, want to know they have access to a safe and secure justice system,” the letter stated. “The consolidation in 2017 was intended to improve safety while ensuring timely access to court services and lowering costs. We believe it did just the opposite and we are concerned that the condition of the Shelburne Courthouse will persuade you to further consolidate court services which could see us lose the service completely.”

The minister was advised the former satellite location in the Municipality of Barrington’s Administrative Centre is readily available, and the municipality is willing to accommodate the department’s use of the facility.

“If a new development is considered, all five units are open to discussing ways in which it could facilitate such a project,” their letter said.