KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of Justice, Delroy Chuck, says the Government is committed to ensuring that Jamaica has a first-world justice system.

Chuck said that focus is being placed on implementing reforms to speed up the resolution of court cases and ensure that agencies under the ministry operate more efficiently and effectively.

The minister was addressing a training session for Justices of the Peace (JPs) from Portland and the swearing in of 37 new JPs for the parish held yesterday at Christ Church in Port Antonio.

Chuck told the gathering that he would not let up in his thrust to have justice delivered in a timely manner, noting that no trial should take five to 10 years to conclude.

He noted that an effective justice system will send a strong and decisive signal that “when you do wrong, you get your justice in a short time”.

Turning to the justice centres to be implemented across the 14 parishes, Chuck said the facilities will bring legal services closer to citizens.

Addressing the Make Your Mark Consultants (MYMC) Middle Managers’ Conference in Kinston in April, the minister explained that the justice centres “will be where people can come to access information. In this way, we can direct them to where they can get legal advice… and ensure that these centres can make justice services more accessible, and with that, we hope that the delivery of justice will improve”.

The facilities will also be used to train JPs in alternative dispute resolution and restorative justice.

The training session in Portland included presentations by representatives from the Legal Aid Council, Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP), and National Integrity Action (NIA).