Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Bryan Sykes, has been appointed to act as Chief Justice of Jamaica, effective February 1, until further advised. This was disclosed by Attorney General, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, at a special sitting of the Supreme Court to honour the outgoing Chief Justice, Hon. Justice Zaila McCalla, held at Public Building East, downtown Kingston on...

Newly appointed Custos of St. James, Bishop the Hon. Conrad Pitkin, is endorsing the ongoing State of Public Emergency in the parish. He noted, however, that this operation “is not a panacea nor is it a means to an end,” and called for the implementation of a social intervention programme that will involve all stakeholders of the parish. “There must...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, has called on justices of the peace (JPs) to assist the Government and the security forces in fighting crime. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Portland Chapter of the Lay Magistrates’ Association, which was held on January 26 in Buff Bay, the Minister said JPs are appointed community leaders with an upper...

Chief Justice, Hon. Zaila McCalla, is calling on members of the legal profession to play a greater role in educating the wider public about sentencing guidelines. She noted that there were legislative provisions that allow for reduced sentences for persons who plead guilty.  “You cannot for example, if an accused pleads guilty to manslaughter, after a charge of murder, you cannot...

The more than 700 justices of the peace (JPs) in St. James have a key role to play in ensuring that the rights of citizens are upheld, as required by law, during the State of Public Emergency currently under way in the parish. “Generally speaking, a justice of the peace is there to maintain and to keep the peace,” JP...

Justice Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, is encouraging the remaining 148 claimants who suffered damage and losses as a result of the 2010 West Kingston security operations to urgently come forward to claim their share of $21 million in compensation. Providing an update in the House of Representatives on January 23, the Minister said persons are being asked to visit the...

Point of sale machines have been implemented in courthouses across the island to better facilitate the public in carrying out a range of transactions, such as the payment of traffic fines, bail bonds and maintenance allocations. The implementation, which is part of a thrust towards the modernisation of the courts, has been completed in all but one court as of...