LOCAL human rights groups yesterday gave a lukewarm response to the government's plan to review the island's justice system.

The groups said it was time for action and for the government to implement various recommendations that had already been made on reforming aspects of the justice system.

"There have been various reports that have been done previously, but I think that until we get to the point of having specific goals with specific time lines and specific measurable targets, then I guess that it is still all in the realm of talk," said Susan Goffe, chairman of Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ).

Goffe said that one of the JFJ's concerns was the introduction of court reporters in the resident magistrate's courts.
"We have been hearing about the court reporters for a very long time. What are the time lines and in how many courts they will have reporters and by what deadline?" she asked.

In respect of case management, the human rights advocate said that the time lines for cases coming into court and being dealt with should also be addressed.

"There have been dreadful accounts of the length of time certain civil cases are now being scheduled for trial in 2008," Goffe said.

She said that problems with the jury system were discussed by a consultative committee some years ago and recommendations were made.

"But basically at the end of the day the meetings were told that there was no money for implementation," the JFJ chairman said.

Goffe said that the Bar Association had also made recommendations.

"There is always a need for looking more closely, but I think that I will await the implementation, I would like to see the action," Goffe said.

Meanwhile, convener of Families of State Terrorism (FAST) Yvonne Sobers recalled that in 2001 the country was promised that court reporters would be in the resident magistrate's courts in six months. However, she said the promise was not kept.

"What I am going to assess the integrity of the justice system on, along with the justice minister, is on action. I just want to see the action that can indicate to people that the country is serious about justice for everybody," she said.

In the meantime, Dr Lloyd Barnett of the Independent Council for Human Rights called for early implementation of some of the justice issues to be reviewed and which he said have been under discussion for a long time.

"There have been both local and foreign inputs in the review of the system. But all of these objectives or reform proposals are reasonably good and important. The important thing is to implement them and to have a sense of urgency about the implementation. I think that there are enough known procedures for change at the moment for a lot of reform to be done without awaiting of review," Dr Barnett said.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice Senator A J Nicholson announced during the State of the Nation debate in the Senate last Friday that an expert in justice sector reform from a Commonwealth country would head a team of experts to be appointed to review the justice system.

He said that the ministry would continue to pursue initiatives already underway, while awaiting the findings and recommendations of the review.

Nicholson said that the ministry would be following through on the 2001 policy position that called for the introduction of case management in the criminal division of the Supreme Court.

This he said would include:

. automation of the criminal registry, courtrooms and the judges' chambers;

. re-engineering and automation of the office of the Defender of Public Prosecutions;

. regionalisation of prosecution services to strengthen and guide the investigative capacity of the
Jamaica Constabulary Force; and

. a phased introduction of court reporters in resident magistrate's courts.

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