Dannevirke Courthouse temporarily vacated for asbestos removal

The Dannevirke courthouse will be vacated temporarily from next Friday 5 June for asbestos removal from the roof cavity and parts of the exterior.The courthouse will close from 5- 25 June and again from 2-8 July.While no judicial court sittings are scheduled during the closures, the Ministry of Justice is reassuring the public that any disruption to court services will be carefully managed.Specialists have confirmed the building itself is safe to occupy as there is no asbestos in the parts of the building that are occupied.  The Dannevirke District Court hears a small number of criminal, civil and Family Court matters.“Access to justice for court participants, whānau and the local community remains a priority,” Ministry of Justice Deputy Secretary Corporate Services, Dr Kelvin Watson says. “We are informing justice sector partners and the legal profession about the planned mix of local and remote service arrangements while we get this issue sorted.” During the closures, first court appearances will be attended to by the court registrar at the nearby police station. In-person counter services will be paused. Court staff will work remotely while in-person and can be...