The Jamaican Justice System is currently in transition as the Ministry of Justice works to address those inefficiencies which hamper the administration of rule of law and the fair and equitable treatment of citizens.

With the passage of the Evidence (Special Measures) Act in November 2012, provisions were made for the admission of evidence via live audio-visual links from remote locations, video recorded evidence, witness anonymity orders and the admission of computer-generated evidence.

These new measures are dependent on the introduction of new technologies to Jamaican courtrooms. The Ministry of Justice, in partnership with the Justice, Security, Accountability and Transparency (JSAT) programme has been instrumental in making these technologies available.

To date, a variety of equipment has been installed in 78 rooms, spanning 19 court houses island-wide. Installations are ongoing for the additional courtrooms selected for retrofitting under the programme.

The equipment includes desktop computers, microphones, amplifiers, mixers, televisions, cameras, Blu-Ray Disc players along with special supporting equipment. The official handover ceremony took place on Friday June 26, 2020, with Chief Justice Bryan Sykes officially receiving the equipment from Justice Minister Delroy Chuck.

Minister Chuck has expressed optimism for the impact of technology on the Justice Sector, indicating that the increase in the use of technology in judicial matters sets Jamaica well on the way to becoming one of the best justice systems in the world.

Source: Ministry of Justice