Naharnet Newsdesk
Investigators called into the Justice Palace in Beirut have concluded that the building is at risk of collapse and simply renovating it will not be enough.
Due to a proposed plan by the Justice Ministry to add a 6th floor, specialized investigators have been called in to conduct a study. Their findings have concluded that the addition of a floor would almost certainly result in the complete collapse of the structure.
The building was built over what once was the Beirut river which justifies the explanation by an official source to As-Safir who said that a deviation of some 80 centimeters has occurred in the soil beneath the structure.
Multiple sources from within the Justice Ministry have claimed that the building is no longer even safe to park in and suggested the construction of a new building.
Propositions were made as to where the new building was to be located with some people suggesting the outdoor parking. Others preferred the purchase of a parcel of land which is close to the parking with some saying the use of a land in Abed Square already owned by the government is a third alternative.
In addition to the building being unsafe and outdated, it is also cramped with sometimes 3 judges sharing a single room as offices which, according to government and legal officials, are "no longer acceptable."
The proposed plan is to merge the Baabda and Beirut Justice palaces in one modernized compound as per international standards.
Beirut, 18 Jan 10, 11:45