Jamaican Consultants conduct training for Criminal and Civil Justice Committees

Jan 22, 2013 News

The Modernisation of the Justice Administration System (MJAS) Project yesterday held a training session for representatives of justice sector institutions on the establishment of Criminal and Civil Justice Committees.
The training was facilitated by Consultants, Dr. Trevor Hamilton and Dr. Winston Mc Calla from Hamilton, Brown-Hamilton and Associates, Attorneys-at-Law and Business Advisors in Jamaica.
The Civil and Criminal Justice Committees were established to strengthen the accountability and service delivery in the justice sector; enhance linkages and coordination within justice sector institutions; improving access to justice; facilitate coordination and cooperation among institutions responsible for all aspects of the justice system and ensure that the institutions involved in the justice system work more efficiently and effectively.
The training focused on the role of the Committees; structures and reporting relationships; guidelines for conducting the affairs of the committee and performance framework for the committees.
It has been recognised that the current issues in Criminal cases are delays in the completion of cases, number of adjournments; lengthy time for trials; overcrowding of prisons; improved computerization of records; and alternative sentencing options. While the current issues in the Civil Justice system are: Delays in trials, this would necessitate the expansion of mediation and improved computerization of records.
The functions of the  Criminal Justice Committees are to advise on all programmes and  policy matters pertaining to the criminal justice area; serve as a focal point for leadership, guidance, coordination, development and implementation of reform programmes and activities in criminal justice area; develop, review and make recommendations for the  improvement of the criminal justice system; the promotion of the inter-governmental and inter-agency cooperation and coordination; and promote public awareness of the issues, alternatives and goals in the criminal justice area among others.
The role of the Civil Justice Committees is to review mechanisms for reducing court delays; to encourage mediation and to provide and disseminate information countrywide on the mediation court and its value; to recommend changes in the law where considered appropriate; to monitor the implementation of proposed changes; to promote awareness of civil justice, in particular improving access to advice and early intervention in dispute resolution and to facilitate participation of court users and other stakeholders in civil justice among others.
The Chancellor of the Judiciary will be the head of the Committees which will comprise representatives from the public, private and civil society sectors drawn from the counties of Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice and their involvement is voluntary.
It is expected that these Committees will assist in enabling more speedy trials in courts; a just, efficient court system which is accessible to the wider community and which delivers timely and fair results; widespread use of information technology to facilitate accessibility; support initiatives to minimize cost and delay in civil and criminal matters and greater involvement and awareness of the community in the administration of justice.
The MJAS Project is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) by way of a loan to the Government of Guyana (GoG) and is implemented by the Ministry of Legal Affairs.