The government of Jamaica is preparing to launch a Victim’s Charter, aimed at giving victims of crime and abuse a stronger voice in the justice system.
Justice Minister Hon. Delroy Chuck made the announcement while speaking at the Legal Aid Council’s Justice Fair for Persons with Disabilities at Water Square in Falmouth.
Minister Chuck explained that the upcoming Charter seeks to address longstanding concerns that victims are often left out of the judicial process once an offender is found or pleads guilty.
“With this [Charter], they not only get counselling, compensation if necessary and reparation, but also they have a say in how the offenders are dealt with. The Ministry of Justice will be concentrating, now, on giving victims [of crime and abuse] support, [as] many of these victims have been left behind,” he said.
According to Chuck, the Cabinet has already approved a Ministry of Justice proposal aimed at providing critical support for victims who have been neglected by the current system.
He noted that many victims are burdened with trauma, isolation, and a lack of guidance, which can lead to feelings of frustration and, in some cases, a desire for revenge. To help break the cycle of violence, the Government plans to expand its restorative justice programmes to include facilitated conversations between victims and offenders.
“Victims frequently, not only are disappointed and frustrated, but they oftentimes plan revenge and retaliation. We want to work with the victims to see how they can be comforted, how they can repair the hurt that they feel from being a victim, so that they don’t continue the cycle of violence,” he stated.
The Justice Minister also used the occasion to encourage community involvement in efforts to remove illegal guns from the streets. In a direct appeal, Chuck urged “mothers, grandmothers, sisters and girlfriends” to convince young men to surrender their weapons.
“It is important that you help the police and the Government to take the guns off the street because we want less victims. In the meantime, the Ministry of Justice will be working with victims to see how we can repair the hurt caused by offenders,” he said.
The justice fair—now in its seventh staging—offered attendees access to services including criminal record expungement, victim support, free legal advice, restorative justice, and child diversion programmes.
Representatives from several government agencies were on hand, including the Legal Aid Council, Victims Support Division, Bureau of Gender Affairs, Office of the Public Defender, and the National Housing Trust.
