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Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Robert Rainford, has said that efforts are underway to strengthen public trust and confidence in the justice system, so as to improve the relationship between Government and the people. Mr. Rainford, who was addressing the installation ceremony for 31 new Justices of the Peace (JP) for the parish of St. James at the...

The Legal Aid Council, an arm of the Ministry of Justice, will hosts its first ever Legal Aid Saturday, providing free legal advice to Jamaicans from all walks of life in January. The Council will host a three hour-session on January 23, starting at 9 a.m., at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, 36 Hope Road, Kingston. In explaining the rationale...

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of another illustrious member of the judicial/legal fraternity, Retired Chief Justice, the Hon. KENNETH GEORGE SMITH, OJ, who died on Monday December 21, 2009, after a long illness. Chief Justice Smith entered the Government Service in 1940 at the level of Assistant Clerk in the Resident Magistrates' Court. In 1948 he...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Robert Rainford, has said that the Ministry is aiming to make significant inroads in reducing the backlog of court cases within the next five years, under the Justice Reform Programme. Speaking at the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF), at the Foundation's headquarters in Kingston on Friday (December...

Recent moves by Jamaica towards accepting the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its final appellate court, has been hailed as a welcome development and a good way to end the year by CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Edwin Carrington. The Secretariat reviewed its accomplishments for the year with the regional media on Thursday morning (December 10), through a video conferencing session...

The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has reported that more than half of all public servants required to make declarations to the Commission have been delinquent. The Commission is mandated to collect and scrutinise statutory declarations of assets, liabilities and income of public servants, who earn more than $3 million per year or work in sensitive areas such as...

Debate on a Bill seeking to amend the Registration (Strata Titles) Act, passed by the House of Representatives in October, began Friday (November 27) in the Senate. The legislation, which is being piloted by Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne, seeks to address several concerns surrounding the ownership of condominiums or apartment buildings, including payment...

The Chief Justice of Jamaica, the Hon Zaila McCalla, has said that the establishment of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) has brought with it greater opportunities for persons in the legal field. "With the advent of globalisation and the emergence of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, there are exciting new areas to be pursued in law," she...

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, has said that her Ministry has commenced implementing over 70 recommendations for reformation of the justice system from the Jamaica Justice System Reform Task Force. These recommendations are part of close to 200 which, the Justice Minister says, the Task Force has proposed for consideration and implementation. Addressing a Jamaicans for...

The Justice Ministry hopes to complete expansion of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and the Offices of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), between now and the next financial year, portfolio Minister and Attorney General, Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne, has said. This undertaking forms part of the proposed Justice Square complex to be established at the former National Commercial...

Proposed amendments to the Customs Act, which will reduce opportunities for importers to under invoice or undervalue imports in order to avoid paying full duties, cleared another hurdle Friday (October 23), when the Senate passed the Bill. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, who piloted the Bill in the Senate, said that the legislation, which was passed...

Leader of the Opposition, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, has given full support to the Charter of Rights Bill, which is being debated in the Lower House. "The Opposition is most heartened that the Government has given a firm signal that they are seriously considering having the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as our final Court of Appeal," Mrs....