Justice Ministry to Expand Legal Aid Services in Hurricane-Impacted Parishes

The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs will be expanding its legal aid services in rural Jamaica, particularly in parishes that were severely impacted by hurricane Melissa.

State Minister, Hon. Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, said that the mobile legal aid units will be utilised to reach citizens.

These units, acquired through funding from Global Affairs Canada, provide free legal advice, help with civil matters, and assist persons in navigating the legal system.

“Many vulnerable citizens are still rebuilding their lives and access to legal support is essential to that recovery. It [mobile service) allows us to reach remote and underserved communities, to take justice to the people, rather than waiting for people to come to justice,” Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert said.

The State Minister was speaking at the Legal Aid Council’s (LAC) St. Catherine justice fair for persons with disabilities held at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) Bus Park in Spanish Town on Friday (Feb. 6).

The event was the 10^th in a series being staged by the Ministry to make justice services more accessible to members of the disabled community.

More than 3,150 persons have been able to access legal support and advice and other critical Government services at these events.

Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert said that the fairs involve collaboration with international partners and various ministries, departments and agencies, which provide access to benefits, employment support, and social protection for vulnerable populations.

“This event demonstrates what happens when Government, international partners, and communities come together with a shared purpose. Barriers fall, doors open, and lives are transformed. For persons with disabilities, access is not a luxury; it is a right, and this initiative is ensuring that this right is realised,” she noted.

Over 25 agencies of the Justice Ministry participated in the St. Catherine event.

Members of the community of persons with disabilities and the public were able to interface with justice services such as expungement, victim support, estate management, child diversion, restorative justice, and legal aid.

Staff from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security were on hand to sign up eligible persons, impacted by Hurricane Melissa, for cash grants under the Solidarity Programme.

Residents also had the opportunity to interact with entities such as the HEART/NSTA Trust, National Housing Trust (NHT), Registrar General’s Department (RGD), and the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

The fairs are funded by Global Affairs Canada through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Social Justice (So-JUST) project.