Court hearings have also been held in Albina since Monday, October 5. In addition, citizens can have documents legalised on the first Monday of every month. The expansion is part of the decentralisation of the judiciary, which was previously extended to Moengo and Brokopondo.
The hearings in Albina are conducted by Judge Marie Mettendaf and court clerk A. Grames. Both the court hearings and the services of the Legalisation department will henceforth take place on the first Monday of every month.
During the opening ceremony, Marowijne District Commissioner Marvin Vyent stressed that the new services must be brought to the attention of the population. He called on local administrative officials, ressort council members and community leaders to inform citizens about them. “Make sure people know these services are available,” Vyent said. According to the district commissioner, accessible legal services can contribute to peace, order and development in the administrative ressort.
Minister of Justice and Security Harish Monorath described the expansion as the result of a strong partnership. He thanked the Hof van Justitie (Court of Justice), staff of his ministry and local authorities for their contributions, including making the hearing venue available. “Justice close to home: a moral obligation for all of us,” the minister said.
Hofpresident Iwan Rasoelbaks stressed that justice must be accessible where citizens live and work. He also expressed the wish to establish a permanent legal and administrative service point in Albina with a broader range of services. To this end, he requested the cooperation of the relevant agencies and officials.
