Judiciary building restored to its former glory |11 April 2022

Guests at the handover ceremony (Photo: Louis Toussaint)

Renovation work on the judiciary building (Palais de Justice) is completed and the revamped edifice was officially handed over to the Chief Justice, Ronny Govinden, on Friday.

The handover ceremony took place in the presence of Chinese ambassador Guo Wei; the Minister for Lands and Housing, Billy Rangasamy; the chief executive of the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency (SIA), Jitesh Shah and other judges.

Work to renovate the judiciary building started in October 2021 and by March this year, the Sinohydro Corporation limited, the company contracted to carry out the work, had completed all the main works and later completed additional work which included the renovation of the enclosing walls, among others.

Zhou Lin, the representative of Sinohydro, said they encountered many difficulties and challenges for the preparation, implementation and completion of the work due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Zhou said it is however a great honor to fulfill their social responsibilities in Seychelles.

Ambassador Guo Wei said the Palais de Justice, which was funded by the Chinese government and built by a Chinese company in 2013, testifies to the practical and friendly cooperation between Seychelles and China.

This, she said, is emphasised by the commitment the Chinese state councillor, Wang Yong, made in 2019 that a Chinese company would undertake the refurbishment of the building.

Chief Justice Ronny Govinden said the completion of the project is of great significance as it is the proof of their ability to collaborate on such a large scale project.

CJ Govinden emphasised on the pride of the justice system and added that the Sinohydro company has done a good job in placing the pride back in the system.

The judiciary plans to further beautify the layout of the area by planting ornamental and endemic plants. The judiciary building’s interior, which was being re-tiled, was also done simultaneously without hindering the day to day work.

CJ Govinden also took the opportunity to thank Sinohydro for assisting in other areas such as preventing the bird infestation and repairing outer walls which was not in the contract.

Marla Simeon