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As the Government intensifies efforts to protect the rights of the nation's children, it will be introducing this year, a programme aimed at enhancing child justice. Making the announcement during his Throne Speech at the State Opening of Parliament today (March 25), the Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, said that this programme will strengthen the responsibilities...

Judge of the St. James Family Court, Mrs. Sherna Reid-Cross, has called on parents and care givers to demonstrate higher levels of commitment to the upbringing of children, for them to achieve their greatest possibilities. Addressing a sensitisation workshop put on by the Office of the Children's Advocate at the Grandiosa Hotel, in Montego Bay, St. James, on March 17,...

Orientation sessions for about 300 persons, who have volunteered to assist with the judging of the National Best Community Competition and Programme (NBCCP), will begin tomorrow (Wednesday, March 17). Training sessions are being organised by the Social Development Commission (SDC), in collaboration with the Community Development Committees. The sessions, which begin in Hanover, will be held in all the parishes...

Respected international judge Hon. Patrick Robinson has called on Jamaicans to highlight the positives of the country, including its products of excellence. Citing the late Professor Ralston "Rex" Nettleford as among Jamaica's products of excellence, he also mentioned reggae icon, Bob Marley, Jamaican women, track and field (athletics), and reggae music, as areas in which "we are outstanding, exceptionally good,...

Newly appointed, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Advocate for Gender Justice, Dr. Rosina Wiltshire, has called for further strengthening of institutions addressing gender-based violence in the region. Dr. Wiltshire will have oversight for the CARICOM Gender-based violence programme, which seeks to develop a more co-ordinated and integrated approach to reducing violence in the region. The programme is being funded under the CARICOM/Spain...

The work of the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF) has been bolstered by a J$34 million injection from the European Union for a project dubbed 'We Want Justice'. The project, which aims to advance democratic rights, through the promotion of alternative dispute resolution, was launched Thursday (March 4), at the Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston. It aims to carry out its...

Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, has said that her Ministry is in the process of redrafting the six anti-crime bills mooted in 2008, so that they can be passed by a majority vote in Parliament. The Bills are: An act to amend the Bail Act; An act further to amend the Firearms Act; An act to...

Chief Justice, Hon. Zaila McCalla O.J., has commended efforts being made by stakeholders, at various levels of the society, to combat human trafficking in Jamaica. Speaking at a two-day workshop hosted by the Ministry of Health at the Mona Visitors' Lodge and Conference Centre, University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Andrew, Mrs. McCalla cited the efforts and input of...

Newly appointed Custos of Kingston, Steadman Fuller, has pledged to work to bring peace and order to Jamaican communities by promoting Restorative and Community Justice (RCJ) practices. "Carrying out this type of justice will cost less, it will ease the load in the formal justice system (and) it will be of invaluable assistance to the police force," Custos Fuller told...

The Ministry of Justice is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Cheryl Davis Ivey as Chief Technical Director, effective February 15, 2010. The Ministry of Justice is moving to become a modernized and policy focused entity. As Chief Technical Director, Mrs. Ivey is the head of the Ministry's Policy and Modernization Division. She leads the Ministry of Justice in...

Ground was broken in Lucea yesterday (February 18) for the construction of a modern family court, fully equipped with technology and amenities consistent with a state-of-the art facility. The courthouse will be located on Watson Taylor Drive in the Hanover capital, at the site of the old family court, which was demolished to make way for the new structure. The...

I am indeed saddened to learn of the recent passing of retired Court of Appeal Judge, The Honourable Justice Edwin Horatio Watkins, Q.C., Ph.D. who died on February 1st in Miami Florida. Justice Watkins was in his ninetieth year. Mr. Justice Watkins was an eminent jurist who attended St. Simons College and after attaining Higher Schools Certificate he attained the...