NIA Pleased With Justice Ministry’s Partnership
By: , January 28, 2020The Key Point:
Photo: Michael Sloley
Executive Director of National Integrity Action (NIA), Professor Trevor Munroe (second right), engages Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck (second left); Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sancia Bennett Templer (left); and Chief Technical Director in the Ministry, Grace-Ann Stewart McFarlane, at an event last year.The Facts
- “We are pleased to see early signs of positive outcomes as a result of the many years of a continued partnership for the reform of the justice sector,” Professor Munroe said, at a recent Kingston and St. Andrew Justice of the Peace sensitisation session.
- “We are very happy to see that the case clearance rate has moved from 71 per cent in previous years to 103 per cent. This means that for every 100 cases brought before the courts, 103 are cleared, so we are beginning to inch away from the backlog. The goal is to get to a 130 per cent, which means that in a couple of years we would have cleared off the backlog which has bedeviled the efficiency and effectiveness of our court system for such a long time,” he said.
The Full Story
Executive Director of National Integrity Action (NIA), Professor Trevor Munroe, says the NIA is pleased with the established partnership with the Ministry of Justice and looks forward to providing continued support.
“We are pleased to see early signs of positive outcomes as a result of the many years of a continued partnership for the reform of the justice sector,” Professor Munroe said, at a recent Kingston and St. Andrew Justice of the Peace sensitisation session.
“We are very happy to see that the case clearance rate has moved from 71 per cent in previous years to 103 per cent. This means that for every 100 cases brought before the courts, 103 are cleared, so we are beginning to inch away from the backlog. The goal is to get to a 130 per cent, which means that in a couple of years we would have cleared off the backlog which has bedeviled the efficiency and effectiveness of our court system for such a long time,” he said.
Professor Munroe also took the opportunity to congratulate members of the courts who continue to play an integral role in helping the Ministry of Justice to achieve its goals.
He further added that the NIA is also satisfied with the increased use of plea bargaining and its impact on the conviction of gangsters and criminals.
“For 2020, the NIA, in partnership with the Ministry, its departments and agencies, has three upcoming training sessions – restorative practices for the western region; case flow management for parish court and the court of appeal judges; and the national conference on the use of technology in the justice system,” Professor Munroe noted.
He said the NIA is committed to the partnership with the Ministry and looks forward to continued support through providing training in key areas such as child diversion, mediation and restorative justice.
Through the support of the NIA, the Jamaica International Arbitration Centre (JAIAC) recently released a publication on mediation for members of the judicial sector.
The NIA is a not-for-profit organisation that was launched in December 2011, with the objective of combatting corruption in Jamaica.