The Montreal courthouse has beefed up security measures to screen for weapons, and some lawyers are complaining of unfair treatment.
Special constables have been assigned to search anyone entering the third floor of the courthouse, and high-risk trials will soon be held in courtrooms equipped with security gates, explained Jean-Claude Tremblay, head of Special Constables.
Court security personnel say other floors will follow, including another high-security gate on the sixth floor, which will become operational this week. Domestic dispute cases are usually heard on that floor.
While screenings aren't completely new - individuals are currently searched in trials where there's a potential for violence and intimidation - the stricter measures irk some defence attorneys, because prosecutors will not be subject to a search.
"Because I'm a defence attorney, I have to pass through security checks. That I don't like that," said one attorney who asked CTV not to publish his name.
"All it does is complicate life for honest people like us," said veteran defence lawyer Normand Bibeau.
Journalists and civilian employees at the courthouse will also be searched.
The last violent incident in the Montreal courthouse was over a decade ago, when a man stabbed his wife during their divorce proceedings.
Enforcing even stricter security measures throughout the building may eventually become a reality, but the design of the building doesn't cater well to security devices, said Tremblay.
With five public entrances on three streets, the solution may become a single door with mandatory screening for everyone, he said.
