Lightbourne promises improvements to justice system

WE HAVE HEARD THAT B4

JUSTICE Minister Dorothy Lightbourne has promised increases in the number of judges in the Supreme and appellate courts, courtrooms and paralegals to allow for speedier trials.

Lightbourne, who was speaking at a human rights public forum Tuesday at the Knutsford Court Hotel in St Andrew, said provisions have been made to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court from 26 to 40 and appeal court judges from six to 12, including the president.

She said three temporary courtrooms have also been established for the Supreme Court, while the number of judges in the Resident Magistrate's Courts had also been increased by eight and that trained court reporters were being deployed on a timely basis.

"To date, one set of four courtrooms at the Supreme Court has been completed with trained court reporters. What this means is that as of this term, the judges in the criminal division who preside in these courtrooms have been able to have real-time access to the notes of evidence," Lightbourne said.

At present, most judges take their own notes by hand during trials which result in cases being dragged out for long periods. To save time, cases in the Resident Magistrate's Courts will soon be recorded and transcribed via a newly acquired software, Lightbourne explained.

Modern computer software is also expected to be introduced in the higher courts to modernise the current laborious tasks of record-keeping and file management.

Lightbourne also said the courts were being refurbished to allow for easier access for disabled persons. She said the Supreme Court in Kingston and the Cambridge Resident Magistrate Court in St James already had wheelchair ramps and elevators.

"We have also installed elevators in the Supreme Court, thereby facilitating greater access to persons facing physical challenges," Lightbourne said.

She said the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Justice Training Institute and the Jamaica Constabulary Force would also benefit from new technologies as the state moves to revamp the justice system.

Tuesday's forum was a joint effort by the Inter American Commission on Human Rights, Jamaicans For Justice and the Justice Ministry.