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The Ministry of Justice and the Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO) International have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to enable the establishment of the Children in Court  -  Court Prep Programme. Modeled off the Canadian ‘Kids-in-Court’ project, the initiative is aimed at improving the capacity of the justice system and justice system workers to provide adequate and child sensitive...

Minister of Justice, Senator Hon. Mark Golding, has informed that the Government is reviewing the Public Sector Master Rationalisation Plan. “The Cabinet has been briefed by a team from the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU) and the Government is reviewing the (plan),” Senator Golding said. The Minister was responding to questions posed by Leader of Opposition Business, Senator Arthur Williams,...

The Ministry of Justice, received Children in Court- Court Prep Resource Kits from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday March 8, which are geared towards teaching children about the court environment. The unique Resource Kits include a model Court house and therapeutic play materials. Speaking at the handing over ceremony, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Kingston, Portfolio Minister,...

Jamaica is in its 50th year of independence and activities have been planned locally and at diplomatic missions across the world to celebrate the country’s Golden Jubilee throughout the year. In the close to 50 years since independence, the country has made several strides in a number of areas including the justice system. The structure of the Jamaican justice system...

The Government is exploring the option of having more night court sessions in an effort to reduce the backlog of cases before the judiciary. Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, made the disclosure on February 29 at the weekly Jamaica House press briefing. She informed that Cabinet, at its meeting this week, was advised of the...

Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, has informed that the Government is compiling a "realistic" legislative programme for the remainder of the 2011/12 fiscal year, as well as the 2012/13 financial year. In a statement in the Senate, on February 24, Mr. Golding said that Bills which were tabled by the last Government, but not passed, and Bills...

The long awaited Municipal Court system to deal with parochial matters, will be introduced across the island soon. According to Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, the move to establish municipal courts, although being part of the Local Government process, is being done under a wider Justice Reform Programme, to establish specialised courts. “The Ministry has...

The Government has begun initial discussions regarding Jamaica’s transition to republican status. Minister with responsibility for Information, Hon. Sandrea Falconer, made the disclosure on February 15 Jamaica House press briefing. She said the talks are being led by the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Department, spearheaded by a Ministerial Committee, which is to make recommendations to Cabinet before...

Thousands of residents from Montego Bay, St. James and the wider western Jamaica  have been sensitised about the offerings of the Justice Ministry and all its associated agencies and departments, and  provided with  information about their basic rights and responsibilities. This  was  done  at two  Justice Fairs  staged concurrently by the  Ministry of Justice, at the Montego Bay Civic Centre...

Chief Justice, the Hon. Zaila McCalla, said the judiciary fully embraces the move by Government to introduce restorative justice principles within the justice system. The Ministry of Justice is looking to apply the concept to the local court system, and is currently carrying out a pilot programme in four communities: Tower Hill, St. Andrew; Spanish Town, St. Catherine; May Pen,...

Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding says it is important for Jamaicans to adopt a culture of tolerance and healing, as the country celebrates its 50th year of Independence from Colonial rule. He explained that part of the aim of the Restorative Justice Programme is to help Jamaicans who have been perpetrators of crime or victims of crime,...

Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, said that the Ministry is in the process of reforming the justice system in an effort to provide Jamaicans with greater access to justice. “The reform process requires a collaborative approach to enable the justice system to have a significant role in not only responding to, but helping to shape the requisite...