The Corporate Area bailiff and his staff have very little work to do these days as "touts" have descended on the courthouse and taken over the bailiff's job of serving summonses in civil suits.

Augustus Sherriah, a bailiff of 37 years, said he had to lay off staff last month because his office had no money to pay them.The bailiff's office has a complement of four clerical staff and 15 assistant bailiffs but Sherriah says very soon he will have to lay them off if the situation does not change.

A lawyer's bearer, who visits the courthouse regularly, said on many occasions she witnessed "touts" who hang around the courthouse asking persons if they want assistance to serve documents.

Last year, Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey, in an effort to put a halt to frequent complaints from persons that default judgments were being entered against them although they were not served with any document to attend court, had put in place a system in which processes of the court should be served by the bailiff.

Additional staff

Sherriah said when the bailiff was given full control last year to serve the summonses, RM Pusey had stressed that the summonses should be served expeditiously. He said in order to speed up the process, he had employed additional staff and credited computers and other office equipment.

"Now that the touts have taken over, my office is not generating any money to pay for the office equipment and pay the staff," Sherriah said.

He explained that the govern-ment did not pay the bailiff's staff and it was the responsibility of the bailiff to do so.