The Administrator General’s Department (AGD) is set to complete implementation of its Trust and Estate Management System (TEMS) by end of year, which will see significant improvement in the public’s access to its services. Finance and Planning Executive of the AGD, Patrick Wright, said the software will streamline how the agency conducts business, including the administration and management of estates....

A total of 439 Justices of the Peace (JPs) were commissioned during 2016/17 as part of the Government’s undertaking to reform and strengthen the justice system. This was announced by Justice Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, during his 2017/18 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 2. Mr. Chuck said the JPs’ commissioning was one aspect of...

Amendments are being made to the Public Debt Management Act (PDMA) to make certain provisions more consistent with international and local standards. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, who piloted the Bill in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 2), said it has become necessary to effect changes to the Act in order to improve...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says it will cost the Government $7 billion to complete all major aspects of justice reform by 2020. Making his contribution to the 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, yesterday (May 2), Mr. Chuck said this amount does not include the cost for infrastructural works and institutional capacity. He noted that the...

Chief Justice, Hon. Zaila McCalla, says there are plans to develop a more interactive relationship between the judiciary and the media. “In order to prevent speculation and eliminate or reduce inaccuracies in media reports, a more balanced approach is necessary, and steps are being taken in recognition of this approach,” she said. Mrs. McCalla was addressing the 3rd Annual Commonwealth...

The Legal Aid Council of the Ministry of Justice is reporting a significant uptake of the services of its Mobile Justice Unit since its roll-out in underserved communities across Jamaica in January. Some 450 persons from 24 communities received legal support through the Unit in the first three months. In January, it visited six communities and engaged 140 persons; in...

Contractor General, Dirk Harrison, says the staging of the Commonwealth Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions and Anti-corruption Bodies (CCAICACB) Conference next week is a critical opportunity to share best practices and develop mechanisms for tackling corruption regionally. The third staging of the five-day regional conference, facilitated through the Commonwealth Secretariat, is being hosted by Jamaica for the first time and...