Restorative Justice Policy Green Paper Tabled in the House of Representatives

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, on Wednesday (November 8) tabled a copy of the Restorative Justice Policy Green Paper in the House of Representatives.

Restorative Justice (RJ) has been one of the flagship programmes of the Ministry since its inception.

It has proven to be an effective tool for conflict resolution and repairing broken relationships.

In his remarks, Mr. Chuck said the Policy’s revision is geared towards enabling the continued relevance of the National Restorative Justice Programme, the use of Restorative Justice practices and sustainability for greater impact within the society.

“Crime and violence have shown no partiality in the selection of victims. [They know] no race, gender, age, community or parish; this challenge is not a new emergence in our society. Sadly, over the last few days, we have seen evidence of this, as a number of our children have been brutally murdered. This reinforces the need for greater interventions at the embryonic stage of community conflicts,” the Minister said.

Mr. Chuck noted that it was his responsibility as Justice Minister to promote and expand a programme that is not only timely but also timeless.

He emphasised that Restorative Justice is a necessity and complementary to the efforts of the Ministry of National Security, adding that the utilisation of RJ continues to be a critical tool in the judicial space, contributing to case clearance in the courts.

“Restorative Justice is a valuable alternative justice tool. Numerous incidents of crime and violence arise from our inability to effectively resolve domestic disputes, including ‘dead lef’ matters. There is a need to find better ways to resolve conflicts within our families, our schools and our communities,” Mr. Chuck maintained.

He added that greater awareness, access and use of both Restorative Justice and Restorative Justice Practices are imperative.

“We need to change the mindset of our people. We need to get into their inner workings and minds, so that they know not to fight it out but talk it out! RJ is one of the many alternative justice resources available to teach our people that you do not have to use violence to resolve conflicts. Violence does not solve the problem; it increases the problem – rounds of retaliation, gang violence and reprisals,” Mr. Chuck said.

The Minister noted that Jamaicans in every ‘nook and cranny’ deserve to be afforded a safe space where they can sit and talk about what has happened, how they have been affected, who else might be affected and what they would like to see happen in order to move forward peacefully.

“Jamaicans deserve Restorative Justice,” Mr. Chuck underscored.