MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck has reiterated the need for people to make a will in order to minimise contention among relatives after death.

“Nothing creates more problems than ‘dead lef’, and it is the freeness mentality that we have in this country. Everybody feels they must get something; if it is not from the Government, the pastors or the politician, they must get something out of what their parents leave. It belongs to them and they fight over it. There is no question of sharing appropriately. Everybody wants the lion’s share and especially when regrettably the parents have not left a will… People must make a will. When you make a will, it at least indicates how the property will be shared when you die,” he told his audience at the Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville on Friday.

The justice minister was responding to comments made by head of the Manchester police, Superintendent Shane McCalla, at a dispute resolution forum organised by Custos of Manchester Garfield Green.

The police chief said the inability to resolve conflict in Manchester is concerning.

“Up to yesterday [Thursday] we had to lay charges unfortunately against a family member who, coming out of a land dispute after they buried their mother, ended up in the murder of their brother due to inability to resolve conflict,” said McCalla, in reference to the January 19 killing of UK resident Michael Brown.

Brown, otherwise called “Jimmy”, 48, was shot and killed about 12:20 am while in bed at the family home in Mike Town (near Mandeville), four days after laying his 74-year-old mother to rest. His brother, Lemone Brown, 38, has been charged with his murder.