Judicial Officers Urged to Set High Standards for Justice Delivery
By: , September 27, 2015The Key Point:
Photo: Glenis Rose
Minister of Justice, Senator Mark Golding (right); and Chief Justice of Jamaica, Hon. Zaila McCalla, are greeted by Custos of St. James, Hon. Ewen Corrodus. Occasion was the opening of the 4th Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers, on Thursday (September 24), at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort in Montego Bay, St. James.The Facts
- The Chief Justice noted that people are becoming more aware of their rights and are willing to seek justice when they believe that a wrong has been done to them.
The Full Story
Chief Justice, Hon. Zaila McCalla, has called on judicial officers throughout the Caribbean to commit to setting high standards for the delivery of justice.
“There is an ever closing gap between the people and the law in the pursuit of equality and justice, amidst the realities of the various social, economic and cultural norms. We therefore must set high standards… characterised by fairness, transparency and accountability,” she said.
The Chief Justice was addressing the opening ceremony of the 4th Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO) on Thursday (September 24), at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay.
The Chief Justice noted that people are becoming more aware of their rights and are willing to seek justice when they believe that a wrong has been done to them.
She said that technology has brought the law closer to people, and more litigants are willing to represent themselves, as they now have ready access to information. “Therefore, we have to equip ourselves to deal (effectively) with these and other situations,” she said.
She pointed out that technology also gives criminals the tools to operate globally, without the need to travel across borders.
“It is therefore necessary for states to work together in developing legal frameworks for high standards that will enhance our abilities to address the new legal, social and other challenges that face us,” the Chief Justice said.
The three-day conference, under the theme: ‘Setting high standards for justice delivery,’ has attracted the participation of legal minds through the region.
These include chief justices, judges, magistrates, masters, tribunal members, registrars, executive court administrators and a host of other judicial officers.
The Chief Justice expressed the hope that at the end of the conference, the participants will be empowered to chart a new course towards the achievement of “a balance in the dispensation of justice for all people”.