New Public Defender Sworn In

Queen’s Counsel, Carolyn Reid-Cameron, was on Thursday (September 1), sworn in as Public Defender during a ceremony at King’s House.

Mrs. Reid-Cameron, who was sworn in by Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, succeeds Attorney-at-Law, Arlene Harrison Henry, who retired in April.

Mrs. Reid-Cameron who is the second woman to be appointed to the post, previously served as Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions before she entered private practice in 1996. She is the lead attorney at Carolyn Reid and Company.

The Governor-General, in congratulating Mrs. Reid-Cameron, said her appointment is significant, coming during Jamaica’s 60th year of political independence.

He said the appointment speaks to her exemplary service over three decades of practice and dedication to the field of law.

“We are entrusting to you Mrs. Reid-Cameron, the rights, privileges, and responsibility to carry out your function without fear or favour. You will listen and investigate allegations of complaints concerning breaches of our laws and Constitution by any person, ministry, department or statutory body,” the Governor-General said.

Other responsibilities of the Office, he listed, include establishing clear mechanisms for the lodging of complaints or allegations against any office, use of powers and resources of the office to make legal counsel available to an aggrieved citizen if it is a matter than can only be resolved in the court system, examining existing laws or areas of policy and make recommendations for legislative changes that will assist in the sphere of constitutional and public law, and seeking financial compensation or other forms of appropriate redress on behalf of affected persons.

The Governor-General commended Mrs. Harrison Henry for her years of service to the Jamaican people.

He also thanked Attorney-at-Law, Herbert McKenzie, who is the Deputy Public Defender, for acting in the post prior to Mrs. Reid Cameron’s appointment.

The Governor-General said Mr. McKenzie’s capable management of the Office during the transition, ensured there was no lapse its functions.

In her response, Mrs. Reid-Cameron committed to effecting the necessary reforms to the Office to improve service delivery to the public.

Among those she highlighted are creating systems to clear the backlog of unresolved cases, a new location of the Office to facilitate access for physically challenged persons and the indigent, and the provision of quality services in compliance with the Data Protection Act.

“This is our 60th year of Independence and with it comes the constant thirst for justice, the need for transparency in governance, and the tensions created when there are competing rights and inefficient systems. The Office of the Public Defender, therefore, has an onerous task to shine the spotlight on inefficient systems and make recommendations for change, and to ensure that the justice of every situation that it is confronted with is met while preserving the constitutional rights of our citizens,” she said.

Mrs. Reid-Cameron further thanked her predecessor, her deputy, and the staff of the Office for their outstanding service.

The Office of the Public Defender was established in 2000 to investigate and seek redress on behalf of Jamaicans whose Constitutional rights have been violated.