The long-awaited redesign and modelling work for Vanuatu’s new Hall of Justice is expected to be completed by the end of this year, paving the way for construction to finally begin on the long-overdue project.
The original Court House in Port Vila was destroyed by fire in 2007, and although the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hall of Justice took place in 2020, actual construction has yet to commence.
Prime Minister Jotham Napat confirmed in Parliament that the government has already allocated more than Vt1 billion toward the new building, with additional funding support from international partners.
“This is an overdue project,” Prime Minister Napat said. “Government after government has come and gone, but there is big progress at the moment. The government has allocated almost 1.2 billion vatu with assistance from donor partners such as New Zealand and Australia. We are now in the final stage of reviewing the redesign and remodelling of the Hall of Justice.”
According to the Prime Minister, the original estimated cost of the project was around Vt4 billion but has now been revised down to approximately Vt2 billion following the redesign process.
“Government funds are already allocated, and there are contributions from donor partners as well,” Prime Minister Napat added. “We are hopeful that by the end of this year, the design will be finalized and construction will commence—possibly in December.”
Photo credits: Jason Daniel Matariki
