Justice Minister, Delroy Chuck, says cases tried before the courts in Hanover have a six-month clear up rate on average, making the parish number one in the delivery of justice in the country.
“Anyone in Hanover that has a problem and has to take it to court, they can be reliably informed that within six months on average, the matter will be dealt with,” Chuck said.
He was addressing a Legal Aid Council Justice Fair in Lucea, Hanover, on Friday (September 23).
The minister indicated that courts in Hanover have been diligent in substantially clearing backlogs over the years, to where tried cases are now cleared in record time when compared to most cases, nationally.
He added that he would like to see this process replicated in other parish courts where nationally, over 80 per cent of the cases are dealt with within 12 months on average.
Chuck noted that the aim is to get 100 per cent of cases in the country to be dealt with within 15 months.
He informed that for the Circuit and Supreme Courts, the target is for cases to be settled within 24 months.
In the meantime, Chuck is urging Jamaicans to attend the justice fairs being held across the island.
“At this very moment we are training 150 restorative justice facilitators in addition to the several hundred that we have already, and these restorative justice facilitators are there across Jamaica to help Jamaicans to solve their problems,” Chuck stated.
Participant, Kerri-Ann Blount, told JIS News that the fair was a good idea, as it brought the different agencies to the heart of the town.
At the event persons received legal support, counselling, mediation, and other justice related services.
The ministry also partnered with other stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Jamaica Constabulary Force, HEART/NSTA Trust, Office of the Public Defender, and others.
