The revolving front door at the opening to the building has been locked, and anyone wishing to enter must use a side door to enable an usher to identify them.
A glass screen will also be placed between the public gallery and the well of the court.
The changes come after an incident in Court No 2 on 5 January, when Antonio Romano Capuano walked in and began to shout and swear at the Magistrate, Bridget Shaw, who was presiding over another case at the time, as well as at others in the room.
Capuano was able to gain direct access to the well of the court by opening a small wooden door which stands between the public gallery and the Centeniers, advocates, ushers and other staff when the court is sitting.
Observed by shocked court staff, a member of the press and the public, Capuano continued to shout and swear while walking directly towards the Magistrate’s bench.
Assessing the potential danger, Mrs Shaw pressed a panic button under the bench, shouted to staff to call the police and left the room by a side door, while officers and court staff confronted Capuano and got him to sit on the ground.
Staff then talked to the man, who has a history of offending and is known to the court staff, to bring the situation under control before he was taken away by the police.
Earlier this month Capuano appeared in the same court charged with contempt of court following the incident, and was jailed for two months.
On Wednesday, Greffier David Le Heuzé said that steps had been taken to improve security since the incident.
He said: ‘The incident was dealt with very swiftly – it was just 58 seconds from the time he was outside the building to the time he was under the control of the police.
‘We have completely reviewed security at the court and have improved it to stop this happening again. From now on, everyone who comes in will have to pass the usher’s desk downstairs.’
Mr Le Heuzé said that Court No 2 would not be turned into a high-security court like Court No 1, but would have enhanced security measures.
‘We will also be improving security in Court No 2 by putting in a glass screen between the public gallery and the well of the court, and there will be a fob entry to get into the well of the court,’ he added.
‘It is unfortunate that this has to be done, but we must look after everyone who uses the court, including staff, the public and the press. We want to reduce the risk of this happening again while ensuring that the court remains as accessible as possible.’
JERSEY’s Magistrate’s Court took two years to build and was finished in February 2006 at a cost of £9.6 million.
It replaced the Victorianesque court situated in the Town Hall which had been used since the 1890s.
There are three courts, of which one is fully secure, separating the court staff and the public with triple-glazed glass strong enough to stop a nine-millimetre bullet.
Triple-glazed glass in also surrounds the dock where the defendants stand — a measure designed to stop them leaping forward or lashing out.
Prisoners are driven into a secure area and transferred to a block of nine cells which are built from reinforced concrete, called the custodial suite.
Prisoners and judges and other staff use separate entrances to the court.
Speaking at the opening of the new facility, the then Magistrate Ian Le Marquand said that the building would be able to cope with any situation.
‘Some people may think it is a bit of an overkill. But if you are going to build a facility to last for the next 50 to 100 years, it is important to be able to deal with any situation.
‘Within the next 50 years it is inevitable that Jersey will have to deal with a terrorist attack, and it is important to have secure enough facilities in place to deal with that.
‘Also, we have more witness rooms. I can remember one incident in which a witness came out, having forgotten all his evidence, after spending time in a room with the defendant’s father.
‘We now have secure docks. A prisoner once threw a knife at me. It was plastic, but he made his point about security. It could have been real.
‘At Cyril Le Marquand House I would often come out of court and a defence lawyer would be talking to his client right outside my office. He would put his hand up to warn me that his client wasn’t happy — and I would wait until they had gone.
More than £40,000 was spent refurbishing the old Magistrate’s Court after the room in Seale Street was handed back to the parish when the new facility opened.
At the time, St Helier Contsbale Simon Crowcroift considered applying for a drinks licence for the venue and at one point it was suggested that it reopen as a restaurant or be used to host weddings.
The court is a site of special interest and the pew-type seating, witness box, prisoner’s dock and the existing flooring were all removed but preserved to be used for heritage open days or courtroom drama performances by local clubs.
In recent years, the court has been used for art exhibitions, Vin d’Honneur ceremonies, dance classes, scrutiny hearings, lectures and drama performances.
