New court complex in KL opens for business
18/04/2007 The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The world-class Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Jalan Duta opened its doors yesterday to the public.

The RM290mil complex houses 30 High Courts, 21 Sessions Courts and 26 magistrate courts.

Four courtrooms are designated for the use of television to air court hearings or for child witnesses to give evidence.

It has 500 parking bays for the public, 300 for court staff and 200 for judges and magistrates.

Lawyers and litigants were there to file civil suits and to attend cases in the civil division High Courts, which sat for the first time there.

They loved the design of the world’s second largest courthouse.

Many, however, had problems finding the right courtroom or registrars’ chambers or even the lavatories without assistance from staff members of the court.

The court personnel, including registrars and interpreters, were stationed at the spacious main lobby and every wing on each of the eight-level building.

Kuala Lumpur Sessions and magistrate’s courts senior registrar Ong Wee Ching said the personnel would be there for a month.

“The response was very good. We started our counter at 8am and the first 500 brochures were snapped up by 10am.

“The brochures contain maps of every level and location of the public car parks,” she said, adding that 1,200 more brochures would be distributed.

Ong added that the counter would be opened from 8.30am to 5pm every day for a month.

“Most people who have cases here would ask for directions to the courtrooms.

“Lawyers would also ask about the way to the registries or the senior assistant registrars’ or deputy registrars’ chambers,” she said.

At the handing-over ceremony on Tuesday, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu explained that the building, built by the Public Works Department, had an integrated and symmetrical design.