Skip to content
  • Home
  • ABOUT US
    • History
    • Project Goals and Activities
    • Project Management and Governance
    • Project Reach and Beneficiaries
    • Working With Us
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Capacity Building
    • Model Guidelines For Dealing With Sexual Offences
      • Sexual Offences Model Court
    • Re-Engineering Of Business Processes
    • Public Education and Customer Feedback
    • Delay and Backlog Elimination Mechanisms
    • Regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
    • Specialized Courts/Divisions
    • Regional Court Performance Standards
  • CROSS CUTTING THEMES
    • Gender Equality
      • Gender Equality Protocol
      • Access to Justice
      • Accountability Tools
    • Environmental Sustainability
    • Governance
    • Court Excellence
  • NEWS AND MEDIA
    • News stories
    • Media Releases
    • External Media
    • JURIST Project Calendar
    • Newsletters
    • Image Library
    • Video Newsroom
  • Publications
    • Project Implementation Plan
    • Reports
    • Resources
    • Model Guidelines
Menu
  • Home
  • ABOUT US
    • History
    • Project Goals and Activities
    • Project Management and Governance
    • Project Reach and Beneficiaries
    • Working With Us
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Capacity Building
    • Model Guidelines For Dealing With Sexual Offences
      • Sexual Offences Model Court
    • Re-Engineering Of Business Processes
    • Public Education and Customer Feedback
    • Delay and Backlog Elimination Mechanisms
    • Regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
    • Specialized Courts/Divisions
    • Regional Court Performance Standards
  • CROSS CUTTING THEMES
    • Gender Equality
      • Gender Equality Protocol
      • Access to Justice
      • Accountability Tools
    • Environmental Sustainability
    • Governance
    • Court Excellence
  • NEWS AND MEDIA
    • News stories
    • Media Releases
    • External Media
    • JURIST Project Calendar
    • Newsletters
    • Image Library
    • Video Newsroom
  • Publications
    • Project Implementation Plan
    • Reports
    • Resources
    • Model Guidelines
Search
Close
Search
Close

Home » External Media » ANTIGUA LAUNCHES SEXUAL OFFENCES MODEL COURT

ANTIGUA LAUNCHES SEXUAL OFFENCES MODEL COURT

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — A sexual offences model court has been launched here aimed at providing timely, gender-sensitive and coordinated responses to complaints and vulnerable witnesses protection for sexual offences cases.

Chief justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Dame Janice Pereira told the ceremony that the specialisation of the court will help to improve overall efficiency in the judicial system.

“There can be no doubt, given the prevalence of sexual offences in our region, that the establishment of a specialist court to treat with such offences would improve the capacity of the court to deliver gender-responsive and customer-focused services to the people we serve”.

She said that the court, an initiative of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening Project, will have the ability to operate with enhanced video and audio links for the conduct of any trial “in an atmosphere which promotes fairness rather than one where a witness may feel loss and afraid”.

She said Antigua and Barbuda was chosen for the site of the model court for a number of reasons, including the strides made by the island in addressing sexual abuse cases.

High Court judge, Justice Ian Morley told the launch that cases before the sexual offences model court would be finished “ideally within 18 months of charging a defendant.

“Gone will be the days of cases often taking four years or more,” he said.

The new court is intended to handle the sensitive nature of sexual offences cases, and Justice Morley noted that there would be greater support for complainants, better communication with them, and more efficient processing of paper work by the police.

Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin said that the Antigua and Barbuda Government has already made the changes necessary in law to ensure that the court is operational here.

He said the Government had allocated EC$99 million for legal and justice affairs in the 2019 national budget “because we understood the necessity of providing the supporting services in all areas with respect to the administration of the law”.

He said the Government last year introduced the Criminal Prosecution service, headed by the director of Public prosecutions, and that two lawyers have been recruited to that department to be “trained to deal with the sexual offences court”.

He said in an effort to support the new court, the Government will introduce a forensic lab, noting “we have suffered over the years where bits of evidence sent overseas for testing take years to return to Antigua. That will be something of the past”.

Courtesy: www.jamaicaobserver.com

Linked content

Events

No Linked Events

Media Libraries

No Linked Image Libraries
No Linked Videos

Articles

No Linked Articles

Related Tags

  • No Tags
PrevPrevious
NextNext

More External Media

GUYANA’S COURT RECEIVES 10 DIGITAL RECORDING EQUIPMENT

The Judiciary of Guyana yesterday received 10 digital court recording units from the Government of Canada and the Judicial Reform and Institution Strengthening (JURIST) Project.

Read More »

GUYANA’S JUDICIAL SYSTEM ENHANCED

The Judiciary of Guyana, today, received 10 digital court recording units from the Government of Canada and the Judicial Reform and Institution Strengthening (JURIST) Project.

Read More »

EDITORIAL: A SALUTE TO LADY JUSTICE

Sometimes the feet of Lady Justice seem to move ever so slowly. Cases often languish in our courts much to the continued pain and suffering

Read More »

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA LAUNCHES SEXUAL OFFENCES MODEL COURT

A sexual offences model court has been launched here aimed at providing timely, gender sensitive and coordinated response to complaints and vulnerable witness protection in

Read More »

NEWS & MEDIA

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Media Releases
  • External Media
  • JURIST Project Calendar
  • Agendas
  • Newsletters
  • Image Library
  • Video Newsroom

Image Library

2020 Image Library 2019 Image Library 2018 Image Library
View More

Upcoming Events

No event found!

The Caribbean Court of Justice

The Caribbean Court of Justice

To protect and promote the rule of law as a court of final appeal and as guardian of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas...
Visit The Caribbean Court of Justice

Global Affairs Canada

Global Affairs Canada

Global Affairs Canada manages Canada's diplomatic and consular relations, promotes the country's international...
Visit Global Affairs Canada

Find us on Facebook

Find us on Facebook

You can also find us on Facebook. Click the button below to have it take you there, and dont forget to leave us a like...
Find us on Facebook

JURIST Project highlights

JURIST Newsletter

Suscribe to Newsletter
View Newsletters

JURIST Project highlights

JURIST Newsletter

Suscribe to Newsletter
View Newsletters

USEFUL LINKS

  • Barbados Judiciary
  • Bahamas Court of Appeal
  • Belize Judiciary
  • Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
  • Jamaica Supreme Court
  • IMPACT Justice Project
  • Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago

COUNTRIES

  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Grenada
  • Jamaica
  • Guyana
  • Trinidad & Tobago

CONTACT JURIST

134 Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
  • (868) 623-2225 ext 2225
  • jurist@juristproject.org
  • www.facebook.com/juristproject

FIND US ON A MAP

© COPYRIGHT 2020 JURIST PROJECT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Facebook-f Youtube
Close Menu

Main Menu

Menu
  • Home
  • ABOUT US
    • History
    • Project Goals and Activities
    • Project Management and Governance
    • Project Reach and Beneficiaries
    • Working With Us
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Capacity Building
    • Model Guidelines For Dealing With Sexual Offences
      • Sexual Offences Model Court
    • Re-Engineering Of Business Processes
    • Public Education and Customer Feedback
    • Delay and Backlog Elimination Mechanisms
    • Regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
    • Specialized Courts/Divisions
    • Regional Court Performance Standards
  • CROSS CUTTING THEMES
    • Gender Equality
      • Gender Equality Protocol
      • Access to Justice
      • Accountability Tools
    • Environmental Sustainability
    • Governance
    • Court Excellence
  • NEWS AND MEDIA
    • News stories
    • Media Releases
    • External Media
    • JURIST Project Calendar
    • Newsletters
    • Image Library
    • Video Newsroom
  • Publications
    • Project Implementation Plan
    • Reports
    • Resources
    • Model Guidelines
Facebook-f Youtube