IN an effort to make forensic science the new frontier of law enforcement for swift and sure justice, the Government will soon break ground for Jamaica’s first autopsy suite in the capital of Kingston.

Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang gave this update during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate on Tuesday.

“The Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine plays a critical role in law enforcement. It has been upgraded and modernised by this Government. Despite the scepticism, we will break ground for the autopsy suite later this year on Orange Street, downtown [Kingston],” Dr Chang said.

“Upon completion, it will give us a forensic pathology unit that is comparable to any in the globe,” he added.

The minister said last year the institute upgraded and increased its DNA and ballistics analytical capabilities to include the operation of the National DNA Database.

“With these enhanced efficiencies and skills, the institute is poised to make an even greater contribution to the administration of justice in Jamaica,” Dr Chang said.

He pointed out that for the set of trials that were scheduled in the Home Circuit Court for the 2021 Easter Term, the institute had already completed its work and issued the ballistics certificates for 99 per cent of the cases ahead of receiving the request.

“This tells us that the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine is responding in real time to the needs of its stakeholders. Furthermore, their work has been crucial to the reactivation and solving of several cold cases. We now fight crime with irrefutable science,” the minister emphasised.

The Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine recently launched its website: www.ifslmja.gov.jm.