Historic Weyburn Courthouse reopens as Court of King's Bench

Weyburn courthouse reopens WATCH: The historic courthouse in Weyburn has reopened as Court of King’s Bench.

The Weyburn Courthouse was officially reopened as a Court of King’s Bench Judicial Centre and Registry Office on Thursday.

The historic courthouse, built in 1928, transitioned into a circuit court in 2016, forcing people to travel to Regina or Estevan for some court services.

The provincial government said Weyburn residents will be able to access the courthouse in person to pay fines, file small claims applications and other court documents, once the court is fully staffed.

These services will be available to the public Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“That really means that people can now come to the courthouse, file documentation, file small claims, ask questions, and really have that contact which we’ve been hearing has been really missing, and people want back in their community,” Minister of Justice and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said in an interview Thursday.

“That access to justice, that person to person contact with the administration of justice.”

Three registry staff and three deputy sheriffs will be hired full-time to operate the facility, the province said.

The courthouse was designed by Provincial Architect Maurice Sharon and was designated a Provincial Heritage Site in 1988. The building was extensively renovated in 2012 to bring it up to current building code standards.

The first sitting at the courthouse was in 1929.

With files from CTV News Regina's Gareth Dillistone