The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) is calling on parents, guardians and caregivers to discipline children positively and to do so with love. Reports coming out of the National Children’s Registry (NCR) showed a 22 per cent increase in child-abuse incidents over the December 2020 to January 2021 period. Senior Registration Officer at the CPFSA’s National Children’s Registry,...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness says the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine would have gone through a very stringent process, with layers of approval prior to being made available to the public. In an interview with JIS News, Director of the Family Health Unit at the Ministry, Dr. Melody Ennis, said that persons have expressed concern about the speed with which...

Justice Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says the National Child Diversion Programme can play a key role in reducing youth reoffending in Jamaica. Child diversion involves measures to deal with child offenders, without resorting to formal judicial proceedings. So far, 305 children have been diverted from the criminal justice system through the work of the national programme. Addressing a recent JIS...

National Child Diversion Consultant, Ruth Carey, says that acceptance of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a means of settling conflicts outside of the courts will require a culture shift. Ms. Carey, who was addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, said that many persons view the use of ADR processes in the criminal justice system, such as restorative justice, mediation, arbitration...

The Early Childhood Commission has noted with deep concern a report in yesterday's Gleaner that a child in a day care centre was subjected to corporal punishment. The Commission is reminding operators that corporal punishment is not to be inflicted on a child in an Early Childhood Institution as outlined in the Early Childhood Act 2005 (Section 16 (1)). An Early Childhood...

Eight members of the judiciary were sworn into higher office today (April 7) by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, during a ceremony at King’s House. They are Marsha Dunbar Green, Evon Brown, Cresencia Brown Beckford, who were appointed to act as Judges of the Court of Appeal from April 12 to July 31, 2021. Also taking...

NEW CASES 24 HRS OVERALL   NOTES   Confirmed Cases 72 41,400   SEX CLASSIFICATION       Females 37 23,232   Males 35 18,165   Under Investigation 0 3   AGE RANGE 4 months to 92 years 1 day to 108 years   PARISH CLASSIFICATION OF NEW CASES       Clarendon 0 2,298   Hanover 5 1,153  ...