Canadian Government Plans for New National Headquarters for Federal Courts

The Lawyers Weekly has published an article in its most recent issue about the federal government's intention to revive plans for building new national headquarters for Canada's four federal courts in Ottawa's downtown core:

"Estimated to cost about $151 million in 2006 when it was shelved by the Harper government, the design has nine stories, two-below-grade parking levels with 350 spaces, 10 courtrooms and 87 chambers on the upper floors for the judges of the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Tax Court and Court Martial Appeal Court. There is also room for registry staff and administrative services (476 people in all) in the 48,000-square-metre building that would sit west of the Supreme Court of Canada (where the Conservatives planned to build the controversial National Memorial to Victims of Communism) and across from the Justice Building, the historic headquarters of the federal Department of Justice which now houses MPs offices. The communism victims’ memorial has been moved to another location but may ultimately be shelved."

The article outlines the history of the project going back more than two decades as well as the rationale for centralizing federal court operations which are currently scattered throughout Ottawa in leased commercial space.