KINGSTON, Jamaica— Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) a strident defender of human rights,  has been working for over two decades to empower populations who have traditionally been denied their rights, including the marginalised poor, women, and children in state care and lock-ups. 

“As we commemorate International Human Rights Day on December 10, JFJ reminds the public never to forget the names of Dwayne Graham, Mario Deane, Noel Chambers, and so many others who have fallen victim to human rights abuses. JFJ is calling on all Jamaicans to assist in giving a voice to victims who cannot speak and increasing civic accountability for rights violations by the state,” the group said in a release today.    

JFJ was founded in 1999 during a period of protest surrounding the increased price of gasoline, and soon grew into an organisation “committed more generally to the protections of rights and freedoms”.

“Fifty-two men from Grants Pen were illegally detained and fingerprinted around mid-morning on July 28, 1999. JFJ was approached by residents to provide legal representation for the men.  As the details of the round up were revealed, it became clear that some of the actions of the joint police/military patrol were illegal,” said JFJ executive director, Mickel Jackson.

The release added that at the end of a three–year legal process, 13 of the men from Grants Pen, who had brought suits against the government, were successful in winning from the state a declaration of its mea culpa- an admission that its agents had infringed their civil rights.

Another critical case for the organisation was the case of Michael Gayle, a mentally ill man who was brutally beaten and killed by the security forces for breaching a curfew, the release continued. 

“Despite JFJ being in its embryonic stages, the organisation took the Gayle case to the attention of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) which resulted in the Government eventually allowing an independent observer being present at postmortems and a special coroner’s court established to review instances of police killing,” said Jackson.

The IACHR ruling in the Gayle case and years of advocacy by JFJ was critical in the establishment of the Independent Commission of Investigation (INDECOM) in 2010.

Jackson explained that the organisation also provides free legal services to the families of victims, any Jamaican who experience rights violations by the State, as well as survivors of gender-based violence. 

Additionally, JFJ actively campaigns to influence change at the level of policy and legislation. 

“We have helped with major reforms over the years including The Corruption Prevention Act 2000, The Charter of Rights Bill, The Terrorism Prevention Act and the Access to Information Act,” Jackson said.

The organisation’s mission has even expanded to providing human rights training both to the police and the citizens.  Another critical component of JFJ’s work is the protection of the rights of children.

“Since 2003, JFJ has been actively monitoring the situation in children’s homes, places of safety, and lock-ups, including advocating for the decriminalisation of children deemed uncontrollable,” Jackson added. 

“As JFJ continues to seed citizens with the resources necessary to protect their rights, we recognise the critical importance of the state. JFJ is again calling on the state to reaffirm its commitment to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms by implementing strong anti-discrimination laws and establishing the long overdue National Human Rights Institution,” the release said.