Touring the Capitol

On Friday, LB, Christy and I took a field trip up to the new Capitol to tour the Judiciary Building and get a glimpse of where we will be working in the not to distant future. It took about fifty minutes to drive up to Melekeok from Koror. The Capitol sits on top of a hill and has stunning views of the surrounding hilly forests and the ocean below. From the view, it is clear why they chose to put the building where it is, but it will take years to develop the surrounding community as currently there is only the small nearby village.

Our offices are next to the back entrance to the Judiciary building. There are three offices of slightly different size and shape. Only one of the offices has a window, although it is the smallest of the three. We have not yet decided who gets what office, but regardless all are nice offices with new furniture and new computers that will be an improvement over our current offices. Near our offices is the law library that is currently empty. The courtrooms and judge's offices are on the second floor. The four courtrooms are not complete and need a new bar and a large appellate bench. We hope to have the first hearings there by January.

The transition to the Capitol is a big topic on everyone's mind. The Land Court has already moved and some of the clerk's office has begun to move. It is unknown when court counsels will be moving. We've been told that as long as the library stays here in Koror we will stay here. The positives to moving are the new facilities, great views, and having the judiciary consolidated. There are also negatives, the biggest being the daily commute and the lack of services surrounding the Capitol. The only lunch place is a small internet cafe in the village, but luckily it has good food and a beautiful location on the water. The Capitol will be my new workplace sometime early next year, but for now we will continue here in Koror.

See pictures related to this post