Jamaica Legal Information Portal to Be Developed

The Government has awarded a US$197,000 contract to European firm, Softengi, to develop the Jamaica Legal Information Portal (JLIP).

The portal is intended to improve public access to Jamaica’s laws, educate the public about all aspects of legal information and provide a facility for the persons to express views on and query the status of any law.

It will provide advanced search functionality and expanded availability of laws in various forms, with particular focus on facilitating access to the Jamaica Gazette publications, as well as content providing notification of various seminal judicial and legislative developments.

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, made the disclosure during Tuesday’s (March 5) meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives, whose members are reviewing the 2024/25 Estimates of Expenditure.

Mrs. Malahoo Forte said Softengi is ranked in the top 100 global information technology outsourcing service providers by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals.

Work on the portal commenced on February 19, 2024, and is expected to be completed by February 2025.

“The establishment of a project team is required to ensure seamless transition and implementation of the system. The proposal in this regard is for the team to be comprised of four officers whose services would be contracted for two years; the team would comprise a Project Manager, an ICT Specialist, Content Production Officer and Records Officer,” Minister Malahoo Forte informed.

She advised that the project is estimated to cost approximately $30 million, with $7.7 million of the sum earmarked to procure ICT equipment during the upcoming fiscal year.

Funding is being provided by the World Bank under its Foundations for Competitiveness and Growth Project (FCGP).