A.J. NICHOLSON, the Minister of Justice, has called on CARICOM heads of Government to discuss funding to improve and sustain their local courts, in view of plans to set up the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the final court of appeal.
Speaking on Saturday night at a public lecture on the CCJ, Mr. Nicholson acknowledged that Jamaican courts and other justice paraphernalia needed more fixing, despite the input from Government.
"We acknowledge that despite all our efforts hitherto, much more needs to be done," he said, adding that the Government intends to continue consultations with the Jamaican Bar Association (JBA) and other bodies on the means and methods of improvement of the local infrastructure.
"We will do this because we are aware that conditions at the lower level genuinely affect the quality of justice available to our people throughout the entire system," he said.
He asked main speaker, St. Lucian Prime Minister, Dr. Kenny Anthony, to bring it to the attention of CARICOM heads at the upcoming Heads of Government meeting, in Montego Bay, St. James.
"We signal the imperative that CARICOM seeks the financial means to modernise our lower courts and place the matter of systematic judicial reform throughout the entire system high on the agenda of the deliberations of our heads of Government," he said. "Our signal today is, as we witness the emergence, growth and flourishing of the Caribbean Court of Justice, we must remain ever mindful and vigilant about the sustenance and enrichment of the system as a whole."
But, while showing concern for the state of the courts, Dr. Anthony did not believe it should prevent the establishment of the CCJ, an argument put forward by JBA president, Hillary Philips, during discussions later. She was concerned that the US$100 million loan funding being used to set up the CCJ was also needed to improve the lower courts.
Dr. Anthony and Mr. Nicholson insisted that the CCJ was supportable and would be insulated from political and other interference. It could also not be held to ransom as funding had already been secured.
The St. Lucian Prime Minister argued that the courts remained in the same condition, although the Privy Council was still being used and so the argument that things would change for the better if the CCJ was not established could not be used.
"We would be living in a dream world if we believe that, somehow, if we retain the Privy Council we are going to improve the system. This will never, ever happen," he said.
