Jury members and lawyers involved in the Kellon Hill murder trial had to head across the street to the bathroom after the plumbing system failed at Sessions House yesterday.

The 194-year-old "house on the hill" which accommodates the House of Assembly as well as Supreme Courts One and Two is in need of major repair work.

The air conditioning broke down last week, which led to lawyers in the Supreme Court One trial being allowed by Judge Charles-Etta Simmons to take off their wigs until it was fixed.

Yesterday morning, she announced that a water pump had broken and no water was available for the toilets. She therefore let the jury take a longer mid-morning coffee break than usual so they could head across the street to the restrooms on the fourth floor of the Government Administration Building.

The 12 lawyers involved in the case had to go back to their offices for their comfort breaks.

Later in the proceedings, the Court Smart recording system experienced a technical hitch which briefly halted proceedings once again.

Three years ago, Minister of Works and Engineering David Burch said the project to fix the structure of the building and its plumbing and electric systems was a "a mammoth task," and could take a number of years to complete.

He explained that Sessions House might have to be vacated during the work, but did not reveal a timescale or cost for the project as it had yet to be assessed. He stressed that the building was not dangerous.

A new Police station and courthouse is being built across the street, but will not be ready until October 2010.

Robert Horton, Works and Engineering Permanent Secretary, said yesterday that the water pump had been fixed.

"Earlier today, staff of the Ministry of Works and Engineering's Buildings Section responded to a call advising that there was no running water in the washrooms at the Sessions House," said Mr. Horton.

"It was discovered that a water pump had collapsed and required replacing. The work was carried out immediately, with the result that running water was soon restored to all areas of the building. We regret any inconvenience caused to the jurors and other occupants of the building at that time.

"It is true that extensive renovation of the Sessions House, including structural modifications, is desirable. However, urgently required renovation and maintenance works at other Government-owned buildings, schools in particular, have received priority consideration during the past few years.

"In the circumstances, a commencement date for the extremely costly renovation work at the Sessions House, which will require the relocation of the House of Assembly, has not been set. In the meantime, staff of the Buildings Section have been carrying out ongoing reactive and preventative maintenance at the historic building."

Dame Jennifer Smith, chairwoman of the House and Grounds Committee, said: "Since 2006, we have had plans for Parliament if we should have to move, but I am not at liberty to state what they are since they are contingency plans."

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