17 December 2008

High Court spits the dummy

17 December 2008 | johnboy

The ABC brings word that High Court Chief Justice Robert French has let rip over his deteriorating and under-funded court house.

The fountains are silent, the building is closed to visitors on the weekend.

“In the court’s annual report, Chief Justice French complains that the court’s funding is treated as that of a small executive agency rather than the third branch of Government as provided in the Constitution.

The judge says the court is operating in a building and surrounds that are deteriorating and which prevent full access for the public.

…

He is calling for a comprehensive re-assessment of the of the court’s resources to put it on a proper financial footing.

No matter how it’s funded, the building will remain a testament to ugliness.

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Mr Waffle8:00 pm 18 Dec 08

The fountain used to be cleaned by what is now TAMS, but the contract was killed due to penny-pinching. Now that it has been complained about they might cough up the dough to get it looked after again (like when some schools got flooded due to Education cancelling the gutter cleaning contracts…).

Capitalist2:03 am 18 Dec 08

Ok, the High Court isn’t the prettiest building, but it pales in ugliness compared to the oversize morgue next door that is the NGA or the newly constructed crack den in front.

astrojax9:57 pm 17 Dec 08

i think ‘fixing the high court’ is some sort of extreme perjury, innit?

I-filed7:32 pm 17 Dec 08

Yes they should fix it. Bit strange that the luvvies got $80 million for the portrait gallery kowtowing to captains of industry and including that shockingly bad painting of Mary Donaldson aka Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, while our Justices – our third arm of government – are treated like poor cousins.

Pandy6:29 pm 17 Dec 08

Fix the High Court

seekay4:33 pm 17 Dec 08

I wouldn’t say “it holds up quite well” when the Chief Justice says it is falling down.

trevar3:57 pm 17 Dec 08

As ugly buildings go, it’s not an extreme case. The wall of glass gives it an appropriate aloofness. And next to the hideous NGA, it holds up quite well.

seekay3:20 pm 17 Dec 08

“I quite like it as it fits into the landscape nicely.”

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of ugly buildings.

tylersmayhem2:53 pm 17 Dec 08

I think the case is the same with the water feature at the Parli House. We’re in a drought – not too sensible to be running water features I suppose.

sepi2:26 pm 17 Dec 08

I’m not sure of their level of funding or status (Stand alone Govt Agency or under a dept?).

Anyway – they should benefit from the decision to spare smaller agencies the efficiency dividend on the first 50 mill of funding. This will spare all smaller places like The Gallery, the AIS etc, from cutting staff to meet the dividend.

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