The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) disposed of more than 1,200 cases across the various circuit and gun courts islandwide during the last fiscal year. This was disclosed by Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, who said this adds to the Office’s “excellent track record of delivering effective and just prosecutions in criminal proceedings”. “Over the past...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, wants to see the expungement of the criminal records of more ex-offenders who have long given up on a life of crime and are now upstanding citizens. Expungement involves the formal removal of a conviction from an individual’s criminal/police record after a specific period of time has elapsed and after certain requirements have been...

A total of 305 children, aged 12 to 17 years, have been referred to the Child Diversion Programme since it was implemented in April last year. Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, who made the disclosure, said these referrals under the Child Diversion Programme, means “305 at-risk children have been given a second chance”. “This means… 305 children, who might...

President of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica (LMAJ), Dr. Lynden Rose, says its membership of some 14,000 Justices of the Peace (JPs) across the island is committed to serving the people of Jamaica. He said that the JPs, who do voluntary work, strongly believe in “service above self, always knowing that there is a higher calling and an internal...

President of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica (LMAJ), Dr. Lynden Rose, says the organisation will be donating to the relief effort for people in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines who are being impacted by the violent eruptions of La Soufrière volcano. “I am very concerned about the natural disaster and we have activated our outreach committee. We are putting...

President of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica (LMAJ), Dr. Lynden Rose, is encouraging citizens to report justices of the peace (JPs) operating in breach of the code of conduct, to the office of the Custos in their parish. “In terms of how you deal with alleged offenders (JPs), the public has to be involved, the public has to be...

The Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica (LMAJ) says that while there is still more work to be done, significant strides have been made to reduce the backlog of cases in courts at the parish level. Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ at the agency’s regional office in Montego Bay, St. James, on April 13, Regional Vice-President of...