DR Carolyn Gomes, the executive director of Jamaicans For Justice, has berated the government for what she described as attempts to silence the human rights organisation.

“Once again, the government is giving us a sovereign call to silence – keep your mouth shut for the good of Jamaica,” she told those who gathered, Saturday night, to mark the National Democratic Movement’s (NDM’s) ninth anniversary.

The government, Dr Gomes maintained, has failed to correct problems in the justice system even though the JFJ has been highlighting the shortcoming for the last five years.

“The only response from the government, to date, to the meticulously-documented report and the horrific weaknesses and the failings that it cites,” she said, “has been a harsh criticism of the JFJ with accusations that our report acts as encouragement and succour to those who ply their murderous trade of death and destruction.”

The report, entitled “Pattern of Impunity”, hit out against police excesses which the organisation argued was caused by:

. systematically poor investigative procedures;

. weakness of oversight bodies and mechanisms;

. failure to protect witnesses;

. delays and weaknesses in the processes of the courts;

. weaknesses and lack of will in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; and

. lack of political will to correct the problem.

According to Gomes, the report documents case reports and calls on the government to ensure justice for ordinary citizens – but to date nothing has been done.