The people of Katherine are set to benefit from a major upgrade of the town’s courthouse. 

NT Director of Courts and Tribunals Chris Cox said the newly completed refurbishment work involved a $1 million investment by the NT Government to provide court facilities that would better suit the needs of Katherine. 

Mr Cox said the work included a major expansion of the courthouse building – which was widened by five metres - to provide more space for new facilities. 

“These included three additional sound-proof interview rooms (one with disabled access), a new vulnerable witness room and a new larger Witness Assistance Service room,” Mr Cox said. 

The expansion also added two additional holding cells, and the Prosecutions’ Office was reconfigured. 

Mr Cox said the redevelopment work was commissioned in response to increasing demand for the court’s services with a growing number of cases being heard in Katherine. 

The new facilities were designed with access for stakeholders, such as the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission, in mind.