KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Office of the Public Defender (OPD) is this year, celebrating 25 years of dedicated service to the people of Jamaica.

Established on April 16, 2000, through the Public Defender (Interim) Act 2000, the OPD remains a cornerstone of Jamaica’s democratic framework, ensuring that the rights of citizens are protected and upheld.

On January 16, 2015, Arlene Harrison Henry made history when she became Jamaica’s first female public defender, serving until 2022.

The former public defender, highlights the importance of this establishment, noting its benefit in instances of maladministration and cases of injustice and constitutional rights infringements.

“[It is] a tool put in their hands to better protect their rights, not only in relation to maladministration [such as] delayed pension processing or payment, the failure of a department, agency or company in which government owns 51 per cent or more to do something within a reasonable time. So, what it does is that it empowers the Jamaican people, if used correctly,” Harrison-Henry states.

“Seek the services of the public defender. Rely on the public defender’s investigative capacity and the provisions under the law to better protect your rights,” she adds.

The office’s first public defender, Howard Hamilton, played a crucial role in shaping its mandate.

Current Public Defender, Carolyn Reid-Cameron says Hamilton “gave life to the role that was carved out in the Public Defender Interim Act”.

“When he became the first public defender, one of the things that he did was to treat with the religious freedom of a Rastafarian man who was incarcerated at South Camp Road. That individual, as the facts goes, wanted to be baptized in the Rastafarian faith and the simple matter of using the chapel or the facilities that were there to facilitate that, the simple matter of allowing his pastor to be on the compound, to interact with him and to give him religious teachings was an issue. Hamilton took that matter to court to enforce that gentleman’s fundamental right to freedom of religion,” she recounts.

Reid-Cameron points out that Hamilton was successful in the matter, with the settlement resulting in the Rastafarian being allowed his freedoms while still incarcerated.

Over the years, the OPD has handled a wide range of cases, from pension disputes to significant national incidents like the Tivoli incursion in 2010.

“We treat with the individual citizen who complains about one item [such as] the matter of pension. To that one person that is something that is as important as life itself and it is not necessarily something that would catch national attention,”  Reid-Cameron notes.

She describes this evolution, saying, “we have travelled a very far way and that journey started with the first step with Mr Hamilton.”

As the office celebrates its 25th anniversary, it continues to be a beacon of hope and justice for the Jamaican people, ensuring their rights are protected and their voices heard.

To report a matter to the OPD or to find out more about its services, individuals can call 888-429-5673 toll tree or by visiting the website opd.gov.jm.

–         JIS