The Administrator-General (AG) has been empowered to administer estates solely comprising personal property not exceeding $1.5 million without the need for a Grant of Administration from the Courts. This increase became effective with the Gazetting of the Administrator-General’s (Maximum Value of Small Estates) (Amendment) Order 2024, on August 29, 2024. The Administrator-General was previously empowered to administer estates consisting solely...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, is imploring Justices of the Peace (JPs) to protect the integrity of the office, warning them against abuse of their authority by charging a fee for services rendered. He also instructed JPs to refuse gifts offered, whether in cash or kind. “Don’t go out and undermine the integrity of this vocation. I am urging...

Students have been encouraged to approach conflicts in a peaceful manner to prevent them from escalating to harmful levels, by Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck. “Students, make sure that you find the ways and means to resolve your disagreements and avoid conflicts. I'm very happy that all the schools here have teachers who are trained in restorative justice.,” the...

Justice Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, has reiterated the importance of wills in ensuring the formal administration of deceased individuals’ estates. He indicated that doing so is crucial in preventing family disputes over property and inheritance, pointing out that unresolved estate matters, commonly referred to as ‘dead lef’ in local parlance, are a leading source of conflict in Jamaica that often...

Justices of the Peace (JPs) are being strongly urged not to accept any form of payment or gifts in exchange for their services. Justice Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, who issued the warning, indicated that these men and women are at risk of being decommissioned from the voluntary role that prides itself on upholding the integrity of the justice system. “I...

Seven members of the judiciary were sworn in to higher offices by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, on Monday, September 16, at King’s House. They will serve in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Taking the Oath of Allegiance and the Judicial Oath were Justices Kissock Laing and Georgiana Fraser, who have been appointed...

Fifty-six Attorneys-at-law, legal aid and justice service providers from the Ministry of Justice, on Thursday (September 12) graduated from a six-week training course in Jamaican Sign Language and Deaf Culture. The ceremony, which was held at Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester, was for the first level in a customised sign language course developed by the Jamaica Association for the...