Nicholson Calls for Greater Co-Operation Between Private Sector and Govt.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Senator A. J. Nicholson has called for greater co-operation between the Government and the private sector in the effort to improve the justice system.
Speaking at a press briefing in Port Antonio on March 28, at the end of a tour of the new Courthouse being built in that town, Senator Nicholson said that co-operation was critical to the overall development of the country, as an effective justice system was good for business and investor confidence.
The building, which is being constructed at a cost of $240 million, will replace the old Port Antonio Courthouse, which was extensively damaged by fire in 2004.
Funding for the project is being provided by the National Commercial Bank (NCB), through a special programme of co-operation with the government.
Construction is expected to be completed in December.Among the features of the new structure are: adequate seating for witnesses and the public; a reception area with a notice board; a directory with information about where cases will be heard; a properly secured waiting room for vulnerable witnesses; a security section with electronic surveillance; secure access and separate corridors for judges, magistrates and prosecutors; facilities where lawyers may interview clients in private; and a general library to facilitate research.
The Justice Minister emphasised that there was a need for more tangible support from the private sector in the quest to modernize court houses in the country. Thanking NCB for the investment it was making in the justice system by its financial support for the project, he said the investment showed great vision as most persons regarded the justice system as a user of resources. Noting that the new courthouse was important in the government’s quest for an efficient and effective justice system, Senator Nicholson emphasised that in public consultations done so far, the state of courthouses has often been raised as a serious concern for users of the courts. He said the new facility would address some of those concerns, adding that its construction was part of an overall rehabilitation and construction programme being undertaken on eight courthouses across the country. He stressed that the justice reform programme being implemented by the government was a most critical initiative to be undertaken by any administration since independence, and it was of vital importance for more partners to come on board and help give the Jamaican people the gift of peace through a proper functioning justice system.