$164M Earmarked for Hanover Justice Centre in Sandy Bay

The Government has allocated $164 million for the construction of the Hanover Justice Centre in Sandy Bay, which will provide restorative justice, child diversion, and mediation services.

This is contained in the 2026/27 Estimates of Expenditure, which was tabled in the House of Representatives on February 12 by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams.

The project aims to improve access to justice services by bringing them closer to communities.

It also seeks to provide the built environment necessary for implementing the National Mediation Programme, while increasing opportunities for the standardisation of administrative processes. This will help eliminate inefficiencies, improve performance, and enhance service delivery through the co-location of services.

Other objectives include reducing the case backlog through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and diversion mechanisms, limiting the number of children exposed to the formal criminal justice system in response to crime and wrongdoing, and strengthening existing partnerships, such as with the Ministry of National Security and Peace, to further expand the Child Diversion Programme.

The project is funded by the Government of Jamaica.