Excerpts from the minister of justice’s Sectoral presentation.
Justice on a roll
The Ministry of Justice is happy to report its successes and achievements of the past fiscal year, and to present its plans and programmes for this fiscal year.
We are even happier to report that many of the perennial complaints and criticisms of the justice sector are now being dealt with and settled.
Mr Speaker, it is no secret to this Honourable House that I am a ferocious campaigner for a bigger slice of the budget for justice and, thus, for a better justice system.
The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) acknowledges the need for, and is committed to, providing greater financial support to the justice sector. In fact, in this fiscal year, we have already received an increase in our overall budget.
We have a team at the ministry that embraces the concept of fiscal prudence and getting value for money. This has been demonstrated in the last fiscal year, with the number of projects we have brought to fruition and which are changing the face of justice. We are repositioning justice and the rule of law from the periphery of governmental operations to the very heart of government policy and of legislative and reform agendas.
There is renewed urgency on my part, Mr Speaker, to transform the justice sector. Indeed, I have told my ministry that I am a man in a hurry and have put the ministry on fire. Yes, Mr Speaker, justice is on a roll.
Judgment debts
Mr Speaker, we are happy to report that for the first time, maybe in our history, we have settled all judgment debts due at the end of the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Thanks to the Ministry of Finance that provided $1.3 billion we settled 303 matters. All matters submitted from the Attorney General's Chambers were paid. We owe nothing! In fact, up to Friday, May 18, 2018, we have paid up our judgment debts, i.e., 56 matters totalling just over $78 million.
Infrastructural development
In the last fiscal year, we spent over $697 million to construct, rehabilitate and refurbish 88 justice institutions, including the island’s courts. Mr Speaker, the following is a list of some of our accomplishments:
Opening of the Coroners Court, after fire demolished the Duke Street property – $22.8 million;
Extension of the Corporate Area Traffic Court by renting and refurbishing space at Sabina Park;
Gun Court – we provided two additional courtrooms at the Supreme Court, having repurposed the area formerly used by the Civil Registry;
Clarendon Family Court – refurbishing the Chapelton outstation Court to create a Family Court for the parish – $44m.
Mr Speaker, we acquired 14 generators for courts islandwide to ensure that shortly, when JPS fails, the courts can still continue their work.
We conducted a comprehensive audit of the air-conditioning system in all the courts. It was through this audit we were able to address the issue of air conditioning in the courts. In fact, some members of the public now have to be drawing for their sweaters to stay warm. Hopefully, we will have no further complaints about the heat in the courts.
This, Mr Speaker, is being made possible by the European Union at a cost of €1.79 million. This strategic investment in technologies will enable our judges to be more efficient and effective in the administration of Justice.
The days of writing longhand and the delays in finalising transcripts are coming to an end.
Legal Reform Department
The Legal Reform Department continues to provide the GOJ with excellent legal research and sound guidance on legislative reform.
In the last fiscal year, the department undertook a major task, the review of the monetary penalties in over 850 Laws of Jamaica. From the review, 14 matrices setting out the current penalties were prepared and sent to the respective ministries to inform them of their responsibility in ensuring that the penalties are modernised. During this fiscal year, we expect most of these penalties and laws will be revised.
Mr Speaker, the MOJ intends to make a significant dent in the laws under its portfolio to increase the penalties within this fiscal year. We expect other ministries to follow suit.