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Investing in justice can’t be too expensive - CBA president

Published:Monday | October 28, 2019 | 12:14 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck.
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck.

WESTERN BUREAU:

Lambert Johnson, president of the Cornwall Bar Association (CBA), says justice is priceless and as such a US$8-million investment in acquiring lands to build a new St James Parish Court and western justice complex in Montego Bay should not be seen as too much.

Last week, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck said that the National Water Commission’s (NWC) lands on Lower Bevin Avenue in Montego Bay, which was earmarked for the project, is no longer an option as it is not suitable. He also said that other properties which came up for consideration were too costly.

“We saw several other lands, some of it not appropriate, but others, the private investors were asking too much. I remember we saw four acres where they were asking for US$2 million per acre, which is US$8 million, (but) that is just out of the contention,” Chuck said.

TOO IMPORTANT

However, Johnson thinks justice is too important to be stifled by cost and believe that the justice minister should not allow himself to be turned off by the cost of the lands he has bypassed.

“Justice is priceless. Eight million, if that’s what it takes, that’s what it is, because the benefit will resonate throughout the society and matters will be disposed of quickly in more comfortable surroundings, said Johnson. “If it’s US$8 million, based on the impact that you can have, I think that is just peanuts when compared to justice, which is priceless.”

Johnson, who was speaking in an interview with The Gleaner, says he wants the Ministry of Justice and the government in general to move quickly to address the vexing situation of not having a suitable St James Parish Court and also the need for a western justice Complex.

“Justice is so important to the fabric of the society, it is imperative that government do all that they need to in order to ensure that such a facility in western Jamaica is provided, “ Johnson said.

Chuck recently stated that a major portion of the money that was provided in the budget to acquire land to prepare conceptual works, architectural drawings, and the possible commencement of the construction for projects such as the parish court building and the justice centre, had been returned to the Ministry of Finance.