Hanover Parish Court staff hit the streets
Published:Wednesday | October 5, 2022 | 12:07 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE STAFF of the Hanover Parish Court took to the streets of the capital on Monday to interact with the general public, informing persons about their rights and how to access the court system.
The public display started with a motorcade from the parish court building on Watson Taylor Drive in Lucea, at approximately 9 a.m., to Sir Alexander Bustamante Square, where the court staff and support personnel disembarked their vehicles and scattered into the town to hand out pamphlets and flyers, as well as interact with people on the streets
According to court administrator Andrea Montaque-Willison, the activities form part of efforts to provide information to the public about the court system so they may better avail themselves in pursuit of justice. She said the street session is a follow-up to the church service that was held on Sunday at the Lucea New Testament Church of God.
“This is our third year on impacting the streets of Hanover and its people. For us at the court, we are not just having customer service internally, but also externally as well, and for everyone who comes into the court we are saying ‘come, you are our family, and we feel your pain as well, and we believe in free and fair justice for all’,” she told The Gleaner.
According to the court administrator: “The response in the past is that persons were afraid of the justice system and as such when we [go on] the streets, we realise that persons are gravitating to our pamphlets and flyers, and they are now feeling more comfortable within themselves to come out and express to us what they are going through at home.”
She pointed out that the Hanover Parish Court is one of the leading courts within the island with respect to clearing cases, adding that the senior parish court judge has been a great leader of the court.
“We are not just aiming to maintain that achievement, we are keeping the trophy here in Hanover,” she emphasised, pointing out that the Court Administration Division in the Ministry of Justice had duly recognised it with an award recently.
Meanwhile, deputy clerk of courts Courtney Anderson told The Gleaner that the activities for the week will continue with another public event tomorrow at the court’s facilities on Watson Taylor Drive.
“At this event, we plan to sensitise the general public on the justice system, how it works, and the different areas within it,” he stated.
He said Monday’s motorcade and interaction with the public was organised to also remind persons of the week of activities that are taking place within the parish and to let persons know that the court administrators are aware of their cry for justice.