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co °l Spotlight Metroland West Media "Connected to your Community " O akville law yer asks w hy H alton courthouse w as le ft behind pul Stunt calls the Ontario Court ofJustice in Milton an architectural embarrassment. The Oakville resident, who has been practising law for 41 years, has been advocating for a new court facility in Halton for the past hve years. In 2012, he penned a letter to the province' s Attorney General, in which he laid out what he called the desperate need for a new court facility. He received a response, stating that the Ministry of the Attorney General considered Halton Region a priority; however the fiscal situation makes investment decisions tougher as "valuable infrastructure dollars are scarce and must compete with other high-priority, urgentlyneeded projects." Now, Stunt, who served as a Halton Crown Attorney from 1989-1992, is demanding answers again. In a letter to the Attorney General, Stunt writes: "I must say the messages I have received from you, your predecessor and others are less than convincing that a new courthouse will be announced in a timely fashion." He was also hopeful since three four sitting MPPs serving Halton hold a cabinet position, that it would carry some influence. He demands a fixed timeline for the construction of a new facility. consult with a client in private without witnesses ... not a public corridor where anyone can hear the conversation," he said. Stunt points out that the federal Crown attorney shares a cubby-hole office with the Elizabeth Fry Society Peel-Elalton. It is located steps away from the public waiting area. "Privacy is non-existent here," he said, providing the Oakville Beaver a tour of the facility "The cafeteria -- if you can call it that -- was shut down for six months." In June, Infrastructure Ontario (IO) issued a Request for Proposals for a design expert to advise and work with the ministry, IO and the justice sector and regional partners to finalize the space and design requirements for a new consolidated courthouse in Halton region, according to the attorney general' s press secretary "This work involved a series of consultations, which began in August, with our justice partners to review existing business processes and needs with the results used to inform further planning, such as project design and scope," said Graham, noting the ministry recognizes there is a clear need to address facility challenges in Halton. q Why was Halton courthouse left behind: Oakville lawyer Paul S tunt has been calling on the provincial government to construct a new courthouse. The current Ontario Court of Justice in Milton, he says, is "a bad facility" th a t is cramped, aged and woefully lacking. | Metroland Media projects list. "Local MPPs (Eleanor) McMahon (Burlington), Naidoo-Harris and (Oakville' s Kevin) Flynn have been integral to moving this project forward, and, thanks to their advocacy, the first steps in this process are already underway," Graham said. Stunt says that does little to appease him, calling it government rhetoric. "Until I see a shovel in the ground, I'm not satisfied," said Stunt. The courthouse on Steeles Avenue is home to Halton' s Superior and Ontario courts. Thousands of criminal, family, civil and youth criminal cases are heard there each year. "When you have a major criminal jury trial you might have 120 to 150 prospective jurors and there' s no place for them to go," Stunt said. "They will sit in the public hallway and they will see prisoners being traipsed around in shackles -- they should never see that." aren't any security cameras in stairwells that could be used by lawyers, judges, and witnesses. Since advocating for a new facility, Stunt has held round-table discussions with politicians, held town hall meetings and taken numerous MPPs on tours of the facilities. He says the most glaring problem currently is the lack of privacy for anyone. Building, not study, is needed "But, when?" asked Stunt. "A camel is a horse designed by a committee," he said. "We don't need another study. Drive to Kitchener and look at their new building." Stunt says courthouses have a shelf life of around 40 years. The Milton facility is 55 years old. The original courthouse was built in 1962, and a separate addition came in the late 1970s. There was no attempt to make the two parts appear similar. In fact, there are courtrooms on the third floor of both buildings, but there' s no access on that top level between the two. One must go to the basement or second floor to gain access to the other side. Meanwhile, a court facility was built in Burlington in the early 1990s, with three courtrooms, used for criminal matters. Later, a small claims court was added, Stunt said, adding that similar to Milton, there' s little to no space for defence counsel to consult with clients or witnesses. According to Stunt, new court facilities have been constructed in Kitchener-Waterloo, Peel, Owen Sound, Hamilton, Durham, Orangeville and Etobicoke since the 1990s. He wonders: why was Halton left behind? Government-speak is frustrating The answers he receives from officials are "government speak," he says. Halton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris said she' s still pushing for a new facility. "I made a commitment to local residents and continue to advocate strongly for a new courthouse in Halton," she said. "I know the attorney general also understands how important this project is to Halton, which is why it is a top priority. I will continue to work with the Ministry as we move through this process and provide any assistance I can to deliver on this crucial project." Clare Graham, press secretary to Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi, echoed the words. "Fair and timely access to justice is a core value of this ministry and our government, that' s why we are committed to addressing the growing demands on the Halton region facilities," she said. "In fact, a new courthouse for the Halton region is on the top of the ministry' s priority Privacy is non-existent "Privacy is impossible ... it's non-existent," Stunt said. "It' s a bad facility to put it mildly." Citing just one example, those making their first criminal appearance are cramped into a tiny space in Courtroom 9. This is also where several full-time duty counsel (legal aid lawyers) stumble over one another to help their clients. Representatives of Canadian Mental Health Association agencies meet with clients at a tiny elementary-style school desk, in the middle of the waiting room. In the prisoner cell area, lawyers are seated next to each other in tiny stalls, seven deep. Everyone can hear other people' s conversations -- there' s no such thing as client-lawyer confidentiality in that case, said Stunt. "That should be imperative to be able to Parking and security problematic There' s not even enough parking, especially on days when prospective jurors are called to duty. Stunt also claims security is an issue, as there ILLE "m e tro la n d media A X-- 4 O n t a r io P re ss C o u n c il Defending principles to inspire public trust Beaver* Volume 55 | Number 24 Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. 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