MOJ's child-rights training completed
Article of Interest
Published by The Daily Gleaner - September 14, 2011 - CROWN COUNSELS, clerks of courts and legal officers benefited from the Ministry of Justice's final phase of Child Rights and Responsibilities and International Instruments training, held recently at Sunset Beach Resort and Spa in Ocho Rios, St Ann.
The training satisfies one of the strategies of the National Plan of Action for Child Justice 2010-2014 being spearheaded by the Ministry of Justice, which is "to devise a standardised programme of training in child rights and related subjects for each group of persons dealing with cases involving children".
Carolyn Baker, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) deputy representative to Jamaica, explored international laws and treaties that address matters pertaining to child justice: international legal frameworks, including The Conventions on the Rights of the Child (CRC), child prostitution and pornography.
Retired Justice Paul Harrison, former president of the Court of Appeal, explored the experience at Armadale, highlighting the CRC rules and the state of affairs at the institution, particularly where breaches of the rules were evident, and discussed recommendations for solutions and best practices based on the international standards.
Ruth Carey, special projects consultant in the Ministry of Justice, said: "With the adoption of the United CRC, the Government of Jamaica is now implementing measures, which will improve the treatment of children in conflict with the law, increase consideration to children's views in decisions affecting them, and realise the application of child justice in now critical areas.
"The Ministry of Justice recognises that one of the ways in which we all can contribute to better realising the rights contained within this critical document and achieving these targets would be the training of professionals involved in international standards governing children in conflict with the law."
Delroy Chuck, minister of justice, thanked UNICEF for its funding of the capacity-building initiative.
"The psychological effect of the court system on our children needs to be addressed not only through the provision of support for child victims, witnesses and offenders, but by the approach used by our legal professionals and judicial officers with responsibility to ensure that the rights of our children are always protected," Chuck said.
From Top: Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck; Special Projects Consultant in the Ministry of Justice, Ms. Ruth Carey.
The training satisfies one of the strategies of the National Plan of Action for Child Justice 2010-2014 being spearheaded by the Ministry of Justice, which is "to devise a standardised programme of training in child rights and related subjects for each group of persons dealing with cases involving children".
Carolyn Baker, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) deputy representative to Jamaica, explored international laws and treaties that address matters pertaining to child justice: international legal frameworks, including The Conventions on the Rights of the Child (CRC), child prostitution and pornography.
Retired Justice Paul Harrison, former president of the Court of Appeal, explored the experience at Armadale, highlighting the CRC rules and the state of affairs at the institution, particularly where breaches of the rules were evident, and discussed recommendations for solutions and best practices based on the international standards.
Ruth Carey, special projects consultant in the Ministry of Justice, said: "With the adoption of the United CRC, the Government of Jamaica is now implementing measures, which will improve the treatment of children in conflict with the law, increase consideration to children's views in decisions affecting them, and realise the application of child justice in now critical areas.
"The Ministry of Justice recognises that one of the ways in which we all can contribute to better realising the rights contained within this critical document and achieving these targets would be the training of professionals involved in international standards governing children in conflict with the law."
Delroy Chuck, minister of justice, thanked UNICEF for its funding of the capacity-building initiative.
"The psychological effect of the court system on our children needs to be addressed not only through the provision of support for child victims, witnesses and offenders, but by the approach used by our legal professionals and judicial officers with responsibility to ensure that the rights of our children are always protected," Chuck said.
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