Iqaluit courthouse building re-opens to the public

Lawyers, reporters and members of the public are once again allowed back into the Nunavut Court of Justice building in Iqaluit.

Bonnie Tulloch, the territory’s acting chief justice, announced the decision in a memo on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

This means in-person and remote hearings will resume at the courthouse during the period between Dec. 2 and Jan. 8.

Tulloch said masks are “highly recommended” for all those who enter the courthouse building’s public areas, and that COVID-19 rules in place before Nov. 18 are now reinstated.

The Iqaluit courthouse building had closed Nov. 18, following a Nunavut-wide lockdown ordered by Dr. Michael Patterson, the chief public health officer.

This courthouse closure was part of a wider emergency closure order from Tulloch that suspended all regular operations, including all travelling court circuits, until Jan. 8.

Although the Iqaluit courthouse is now open, court circuits are still suspended through to Jan. 11. That’s because Patterson continues to advise against non-essential travel within the territory, Tulloch said.

Lawyers and others who wish to schedule hearings at the Iqaluit building can now do so by contacting the court’s trial co-ordinator, according to Tulloch.

At the same time, the courthouse will continue to hear all child welfare and guardianship cases, she said.