The Prime Minister's Department is planning to replace aging court premises nationwide with new state-of-the-art buildings, said de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong.

He said among the plans, which they hope to accomplish within the next four years, is to equip the courts with the latest information technology systems.

The aim is to increase the safety and security at the premises, as well as easing congestion, thus providing more comfort to the public in their dealings with the judiciary.

"Some of the courts, like the High Courts in Penang and Perak, had been categorised as heritage buildings. Some are 100 or even 200 years old...