The High Street Magistrates’ Court will temporarily close on Wednesday and Friday this week as Antigua and Barbuda continues preparations for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled for November.

Court Administrator Nyron Frederick announced that the court will be closed on July 8 and July 10 to facilitate Exercise Stronghold, the national security exercise being conducted across St. John’s.

The closure applies only to the Magistrates’ Court on High Street. The Magistrates’ Court Family Division, located at the High Court on Parliament Drive, will remain open and continue normal operations.

People whose matters were scheduled to be heard on the affected dates have been instructed to report to their respective courtrooms on Monday, July 13.

The court is also encouraging members of the public who need to file documents or complete other court business that is not yet available through the E-Litigation Portal to submit those matters by email to [email protected] during the temporary closure.

Exercise Stronghold is a three-day multi-agency security operation aimed at testing Antigua and Barbuda’s emergency response and security capabilities ahead of hosting CHOGM later this year. The exercise has resulted in temporary road closures, traffic diversions and restricted access to parts of the capital as police, military and emergency personnel conduct coordinated training activities.

Officials have urged the public to cooperate with security personnel and follow all traffic and access advisories while the exercise is underway.