Caribbean justice improvement

The University of the West Indies (UWI) will implement the project (in Jamaica, the Ministry of National Security and Justice - MNSJ. Major activities under UWI will be: (1) TA and training to help participating countries develop and maintain centralized law libraries; (2) a revolving fund for publishing case reports and textbooks; (3) publication of law revisions and reforms carried out with aid from other donors - initial emphasis will be on standardizing the statute books of members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); (4) country-level activities (e.g., TA in court management and in setting up legal aid and public defender systems; courtroom renovations; pilot computer applications in records management; commodity procurement); and (5) TA and training not covered elsewhere (including operational support to OECS to assist in project implementation; possibly including police prosecutor training, paralegal training, teleconferencing as a training vehicle for magistrates and prosecutors, and a grant to help local bar associations establish legal aid programs). Except for quick impact activities, UWI will restrict assistance to countries that have prepared an action plan to identify specific needs as well as commitments to the project, e.g., of personnel, logistic support, or, most importantly, policy reforms. National commissions will be set up and resident coordinators hired to develop these plans and help manage country-level activities. The main activity in Jamaica will be assistance to the Supreme Court. The project will renovate the Court building, procure needed library materials and equipment, and provide a computerized equipment for the Civil Registry and the reporting system. In addition, the project will: (1) renovate resident magistrate courts throughout the country and provide them with library materials; and (2) fund short U.S. or regional training courses for judges, prosecutors, and court staff in such areas as sentencing, criminal procedures, and rule of law. All building design and renovation under the Jamaica component will be done by local firms contracted by the MNSJ.