Justice Ministry Provides Information at Fairs

Thousands of residents from Montego Bay, St. James and the wider western Jamaica  have been sensitised about the offerings of the Justice Ministry and all its associated agencies and departments, and  provided with  information about their basic rights and responsibilities.

This  was  done  at two  Justice Fairs  staged concurrently by the  Ministry of Justice, at the Montego Bay Civic Centre and at Emancipation Park in Kingston, on February 11.

The agencies and departments of the Ministry erected education booths, where  information was provided  for the residents.

Among the agencies and departments were: the Victim Support Unit; Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; Administrator General; Office of the Trustee in  Bankruptcy; Justice Training Institute; Legal Reform Unit; Restorative Justice Unit; Legal Aid Council; Office of the Parliamentary Council; Court Management Services; and the Attorney General’s Department.

Others  taking part in the fairs included the National Land Agency; National Housing Trust; Dispute Resolution Foundation; Citizen Security and Justice Programme; Ministry of Labour and Social Security; Jamaica Intellectual Property Office; and the Flanker Peace and Justice Centre.

Chairperson at the Fair in Montego Bay, Attorney- at- Law, Nicole Allen, told JIS News that the event was organised by the Justice Ministry, through its Legal Aid Council.

“The fair was organised in celebration of ‘Restorative Justice Week’, which was observed from February 5 to February 11, as a means of bringing justice to the people of Jamaica. This is our 50th year of Independence and we want to ensure that Jamaicans have access to justice and so all agencies and departments of the Ministry have made information about them available to the general public that will benefit citizens,” Ms. Nicole Allen said.

Citing the level of  crime across Jamaica, Ms Allen said  the establishment of Restorative Justice Centres in troubled communities is the way to go.

“Restorative Justice is a tool used to resolve conflicts.  It is used at the  community level to repair harm and damage and ensures that all concerned parties get together to resolve conflicts or differences before they actually reach court,” she explained.

She urged all residents in the area to make use of the opportunity to inform themselves of the agencies and departments and how they can be helpful to each other in dealing with conflicts, or how they can deal with legal issues and how they can acquire essential documents.

By Glenis Rose, JIS Reporter