A task force, including representatives of the Parliamentary Opposition, is to be appointed by the Minister of Justice to steer a nine-month review of the island’s justice system which is being supported by the Canadian government.

After what Minister of Justice and Attorney General A J Nicholson described as a “competitive tendering process”, the Canadian Bar Association has been selected to conduct the review aimed at creating a properly functioning justice system in Jamaica.

The official signing of the agreement for the programme took place at a ceremony at Jamaica House Thursday, which was attended by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Canadian High Commissioner, Claudio Valle and his wife, Louise, who represented the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the primary international supporter of the programme through its Canadian Cooperation Fund.

Speaking at the ceremony, Senator Nicholson said that the review is to be a national effort and will involve detailed consultations with all stakeholders, including members of the public right across the country.

The Canadian Bar Association, he said, brings to the table substantial experience, having delivered justice system reform and modernisation programmes in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and central Europe.

“The association will bring to the review process highly qualified and respected experts who will contribute professional exchanges, training delivery and programme design, and advisory committees comprising specialised expertise during the life of the assignment,” he said.

He pointed out that the Canadian project director and adviser will work closely with the Jamaican transformation team in the development and execution of communication, research and consultation programmes that will form components of the process.

The Canadian linkages will support the transfer of knowledge on matters of process and substance at all levels of project design, implementation and management, thereby developing the transformation team’s capacity to plan, evaluate and design the review and assessment processes, the minister said.

“.”The task force will relate directly to the attorney general and minister of justice. It will be comprised of representatives from the judiciary; the Ministry of Justice; the Office of the Cabinet; the Ministry of Finance and Planning; the Ministry of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce; the Ministry of National Security; the Jamaican Bar Association; the Advocates Association of Jamaica; the Dispute Resolution Foundation; civil society; the chambers of commerce, and the Parliamentary Opposition,” Nicholson said.

Said the minister: “The need for Jamaica to conduct its own comprehensive review of its justice system has already been established and we now look forward to designing our own reform and modernisation programme, appropriately tailored to the Jamaican context.”

He added: “We are aware that a successful review will only be achieved if there is national and full stakeholder commitment and participation in the entire exercise. That is what we seek as we embark upon this journey with our sister Commonwealth country, Canada, to transform the face of justice in Jamaica.

Speaking on behalf of CIDA, Louise Valle said that the Canadian government was pleased to be involved in the effort, as well as with the decision to award the contract to the Canadian Bar Association.