University has been leasing Building K to provincial courts since summer
UFV’s Building K has been in use by B.C. courts as a temporary courthouse facility since July 1, a university representative confirmed Friday.
Dave Pinton, communications director for UFV, said via email that the university was approached by B.C. courts “in early summer” to see whether the university had suitable facilities to host a temporary courtroom.
Pinton said Building K was selected to house the courtroom for several reasons, including its easy accessibility from King Road and its layout, which includes “large courtroom style classrooms” that fit the criteria the Attorney General (AG) was looking for. He also said that the university is providing the space to B.C. courts at a low cost, as the fee paid by the courts for use of Building K is “basically a cost recovery model.”
The Office of the Chief Judge said via email that between Mar. 18 and July of this year, all scheduled hearings for cases related to violation tickets in B.C. (including those related to motor vehicles) were postponed due to COVID-19. Beginning July 13, the provincial court resumed hearing these cases at multiple locations outside of traditional courthouses, “including a large classroom at the University of the Fraser Valley.”
Regarding the potential health and safety risks posed by hosting a courtroom on campus, the Office of the Chief Judge said all B.C. courts have been set up to allow for social distancing, following “consultation with the judiciary and stakeholders.” The full list of protocols put in place in B.C. courts during the COVID-19 pandemic, including UFV’s temporary courtroom, are available on the AG’s website.
Pinton further noted that university employees and AG staff working in Building K are kept separate, and that as the space is currently being used to hear traffic-related cases, sheriffs and police officers are attending the building “on a daily basis.”
Pinton said the university’s agreement with B.C. courts was originally set to conclude Aug. 31, but is now set to continue through to the end of 2020. However, he noted that this arrangement is subject to change due to shifts in caseload or classroom requirements.
