The Ministry of Justice restorative justice centres across the island have resumed full operations. In April, the centres scaled down operations and cancelled sensitisation sessions as a result of reduced intake of cases, owing to the suspension of parish court sittings due to the coroanvirus (COVID-19). Coordinator of the Restorative Justice Programme, Andriene Lindsay, told JIS News that the centres...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, is again encouraging suitably qualified persons to volunteer to become mentors under the National Child Diversion Programme. “It is not too late for persons to volunteer to become mentors. The application form may be downloaded from the website of the Ministry of Justice,” Mr. Chuck advised, in a statement in the House of Representatives...

The Ministry of Justice is calling on Jamaicans to sign up as mentors for the National Child Diversion Programme. The Programme focuses on diverting children who have come in conflict with the law away from the criminal justice system and using a combination of psychosocial support for rehabilitation. So far, there have been 37 referrals and 27 cautions issued from...

Justice Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says Cabinet has approved the establishment of a National Oversight Committee for the Ministry’s Child Diversion Programme. Child diversion relates to the implementation of alternative interventions to formal court proceedings, to assist children deemed to have broken laws. Mr. Chuck advised that the Committee, for which approval was granted following a Cabinet submission on Monday...

Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, says he has recommended a three-year extension of the tenure of the current Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Paula Llewellyn. He made the disclosure during a virtual press briefing on Wednesday (July 8) from the Office of the Prime Minister Media Centre in Kingston. After serving as DPP for the past 12 years,...

Come Wednesday, July 8, the Ministry of Justice will host its second ‘Access Justice Live’ virtual Town Hall. The Town Hall, which begins at 10:00 a.m., facilitates discussions on various topics and issues, particularly those dealing with children. Communications Consultant in the Ministry of Justice, Lavern Reid, told JIS News that children are a priority group for the Ministry. “The...

The Legal Aid Council (LAC) will be making an application at the Half-Way Tree Parish Court for 10 persons who have been incarcerated for extended periods, for their cases to be relisted. This forms part of the LAC’s efforts at facilitating the processing of cases for persons in the system – particularly those who are mentally ill. These are persons...