The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) in the Ministry of Justice has developed three new draft instruction templates to guide client Ministries as they prepare legislation. Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Judith Grant, told JIS News that the introduction of the templates forms part of efforts aimed at improving the procedures for crafting laws. She explained that the guides “deal with...

Attorney General, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, says the Government has paid out just under $287 million in judgement debts, for the 2019/20 financial year. Making her contribution to the 2020/21 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 30, Mrs. Malahoo Forte also said more than $177 million was paid in settlements. “This has gone a long way in...

 

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, while crediting the “notable successes” of the courts in different areas of operation, says there still exists long delays in setting trial dates and handing down judgments. Mr. Chuck noted that he has been “very strident” on the matter of the long delays in delivering judgments. “This is an issue which the Chief Justice...

The Justice Ministry expended $1 billion between January 2019 and March 2020 to construct, renovate and retrofit justice facilities across the island, providing comfortable, safe and aesthetically pleasing surroundings for the delivery of justice services. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, in his contribution to the 2020/21 Sectoral Debate on June 24 said that a Victim Services Division (VSD) office was...

Thousands of adults and children who are victims of crime benefited from assistance through the Victim Services Division (VSD) in the 2019/2020 fiscal year. “These include assisting 4,244 children through court support, trauma and grief therapy and special intervention programmes; providing court support for 533 adults; and developing a Missing Children Risk Assessment Tool (MCRAT) to assist parents in identifying...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says progress is being made in the implementation of the National Child Diversion Programme. The Minister, who was making his contribution to the 2020/21 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 24, noted that, so far, 13 Child Diversion Parish Offices have been established, core staff for the programme appointed, and 13...