There are more 330 attorneys offering their services through the Legal Aid Council (LAC). “They operate islandwide, so you will find attorneys from every parish on our list. We have junior counsel, senior counsel and we have Queen’s Counsel on our list,” Legal Officer with the LAC, Kerona Spence,” told JIS News. She said that the LAC only engages senior...

Members of the public who have been charged with criminal offences and are unable to afford private legal representation are being encouraged to access the services of the Legal Aid Council (LAC). Legal Officer with the LAC, Kerona Spence, told JIS News that every person who is charged with a crime or is detained has a right to legal representation....

Family and friends of victims of crime are being encouraged to help the healing process by providing support. In addition to the physical effects of crime, which can permanently change the way a person lives, in some cases the psychological trauma can be equally or even more damaging. Understanding what victims go through after an incident is one of the...

The Victim Services Division says victim blaming can affect the wider society by crippling a victim’s ability to report a crime. Victim blaming involves holding the victim of a crime completely or partially at fault for the wrongdoing of the offender. Programme Manager at the Victim Services Division, Dionne Dawn Binns, speaking in a recent interview with JIS News, said...

The Victim Services Division (VSD), Ministry of Justice, is encouraging persons who have been victims of crime to reach out for support. Persons in each of the different categories of crime may need support, based on the extent to which they have been impacted by the crime. The three categories include primary, tertiary and secondary. Primary victims are those directly...

The Victim Services Division (VSD), Ministry of Justice, is encouraging Jamaicans to avoid victim blaming. Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm done to him or her. Programme Manager at the VSD,  Dionne Dawn Binns, told JIS News that victim blaming is not always...

The Legal Aid Council has advised that client consultations are now being facilitated via telephone. This is in keeping with coronavirus (COVID-19) health and safety protocols, against the background of rising cases. Legal Aid Officer at the Council, Kerona Spence, told JIS News that persons who usually visit justice centres islandwide often leave their information, to be contacted by the...