‘No justice without equality’

The Ministry of Justice has launched a social justice project, So-JUST, aimed at advancing justice reform across the island while focusing on vulnerable and underserved groups.

Funded by the Canadian government, with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the ministry as implementing partners, the CDN$12-million (J$1.375-billion) project will run until 2028.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck thanked Canada for being a significant partner in the achievements of Jamaica's justice system, as well as other sectors.

“Certainly, in the recently concluded programme, JUST (Justice Undertakings for Social Transformation), we achieved the four main pillars – equity, access, participation and the promotion of rights. We have achieved a lot, and we, in the justice system, have made significant progress, but we still have a far way to go,” Chuck said during Thursday's launch event.

JUST was implemented over a decade at a cost of CDN$17.8 million, ending in 2021.

In his remarks, Canada's minister of international development, Harjit Sajjan, said there is no justice without equality, and vice versa.

He reasoned that Jamaica must strengthen institutions, systems and legislation, as well as advance the rights of women and girls, and work to improve the outcomes of disadvantaged groups.

“For many years, Canada has been the primary international development partner of the Government of Jamaica in justice reform. We have supported a series of reform-related programmes, all designed to advance a comprehensive and systematic approach to justice modernisation,” Sajjan said, adding that the Canadian government is pleased to continue its partnership.

The Canadian minister said it is his hope that in the not-too-distant future, all Jamaicans will have increased trust and confidence in the justice system.

UNDP Resident Representative Denise Antonio said So-JUST represents a continuation of the country's ongoing pursuit to expand access to justice and to build a fair, equitable and just society for all.

“If social justice is to become the new norm of the justice system, it must prioritise equity, access, participation and rights for all. Jamaica has a solid foundation on which to build this culture of social justice,” Antonio said.

The UNDP resident representative described the project as a defining moment in Jamaica's bold and exemplary journey to strengthening its justice system.

“It calls for us to confront those social and cultural biases. It calls on us to systematically dismantle the barriers which deny too many vulnerable Jamaicans the right to access their constitutional guaranteed rights and freedoms,” Antonio remarked.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes thanked the Canadian government for partnering with Jamaica's judiciary.

Sykes argued that Jamaica has a high level of interpersonal violence and many people become victims, regardless of their gender.

“An interesting question is whether the problem of gender-based violence can be addressed without addressing the broader question and problem of violence, because the objective fact is that most of the victims of violence are, in fact, men, and most of the perpetrators of violence are also men. When we talk about gender-based violence – and while it is a subset which ought to be recognised – there is the broader question of how we resolve disputes when they arise, and I would like to humbly suggest that we take that perspective into account,” the chief justice said.

judana.murphy@gleanerjm.com

Objectives of So-JUST

· The Social Justice Project will support Jamaica's vision for a more rights-based, gender-sensitive justice system that achieves equitable outcomes for all Jamaicans by 2028.

· It aims to help in strengthening institutions, legislation and justice services that advance the rights and equitable outcomes of all Jamaicans.

· It is also geared at improving institutional effectiveness in the delivery of justice services to the most disadvantaged groups, including women and girls.