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Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Senator the Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne, has announced that a major step is being taken to reduce bottlenecks in the legislative process by providing improved and more timely legislative drafting services. To this end, two highly skilled Canadian legislative drafters are expected in the island by late this month, to assist the Government with drafting...

Minister of Transport and Works, Hon. Mike Henry, has argued that justice is by far one of the best routes toward achieving lasting peace in any society. "Justice is not a very simple thing; it goes deep. It relates fundamentally to how people are treated," he explained. The Minister, who is also Member of Parliament for Central Clarendon, was delivering...

A Peace and Justice Centre, under the direction of the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF), was opened in May Pen, Clarendon, yesterday (August 18). Founder of the centre, Social Activist, Dr. Walter Leavell, informed that apart from the mediation services, the centre would offer remedial skills training and support for students suspended from schools. "We are here to do our small...

Commissioner of Police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, has expressed confidence that the recommendations proposed in the current Strategic Review of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will be realised, despite previous unsuccessful attempts at reforming the force. "My confidence comes from the fact that...the JCF has taken ownership for this report," he said. He also noted that the JCF was the...

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Hon. Shahine Robinson, has lauded Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding for initiating the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to bolster social, infrastructure and economic development within constituencies. Making her presentation in the Sectoral Debate at Gordon House Tuesday (July 28), Mrs. Robinson, who has portfolio responsibility for the Fund,...

Jamaica moved closer to meeting its international obligations in protecting the rights of its children, when the Senate passed the Child Pornography (Prevention) Bill Friday (July 24), making commercial sexual exploitation of children a criminal offence. The Bill will apply to the production, possession, importation, exportation and distribution of child pornography will attract penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment...

Attorney- at- law and Queen's Counsel (Q.C.), Justice Hilary Ann Phillips, was sworn in as a judge of the Court of Appeal, in a ceremony at King's House, Monday (July 20). In his remarks before presenting the instrument of appointment to Justice Phillips, the Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen noted that the quality of justice in...

The Ministry of Justice is to construct a temporary facility to replace the Morant Bay Courthouse in St. Thomas, which was destroyed by fire on February 19, 2007. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne says discussions are advanced with the St. Thomas Parish Council to purchase additional land to increase the size of the property identified for...

The Ministry of Justice has begun discussions with the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce to explore the possibility of the private sector building courthouses for acquisition by the Government on a lease and sale basis. Speaking Wednesday evening (June 24, 2009) during the opening of the Port Antonio Resident Magistrate's Court in Boundbrook, Portland, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator...

Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, has said that the Ministry has established a number of strategic priorities for the financial year, as it works to improve efficiency at all levels of the court system, and enhance access to justice for Jamaicans. These priority targets, which she said, were highlighted in the justice reform agenda, and for which the Ministry...

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Olivia Grange, has said that the Government is working to make the country's justice system more efficient and fairer to women and girls. "The Bureau of Women's Affairs has made a submission to the Jamaican Justice System Reform Task Force on a number of ways to provide women and girls equal protection under...

Chief Justice of Jamaica, the Hon. Mrs. Justice Zaila McCalla, has recommended that more medical practitioners be trained to give evidence in court cases. Speaking at the opening of the Medical Association of Jamaica's (MAJ) Symposium 2009 yesterday (June 4), at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston, Mrs. Justice McCalla said the ignorance of some doctors regarding court procedures sometimes...