The Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project is embarking upon a pilot project in Barbados to assist that country in addressing delays and backlogs in its judicial system. The Barbados pilot will involve gender responsive case management, court-annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), the training of judicial officers and staff, and the re-engineering of court processes.
The pilot project commences in Barbados during the week of May 26, 2015 and is an activity under the JURIST Project which is a five year regional Caribbean (English speaking) initiative funded under an arrangement with the Government of Canada. The Caribbean Court of Justice is the implementing agency for the JURIST Project. CCJ President, Sir Dennis Byron is the Project Director.
The JURIST Project seeks to improve court administration and the administration of justice in the Caribbean region by strengthening the ability of the courts and the judiciary to resolve cases efficiently and fairly. The Project will be implemented in six countries then rolled out regionally. Special attention will be paid to improving the capacity and skills of judges, court administrators and court personnel to deliver services that are accessible and responsive to the needs of men, women, youths and businesses.
Barbados is the fourth country to commence activities under the JURIST Project with support from its Government. The Project’s training programme have been developed by the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI) together with the President and Judges of the CCJ.
Pilot projects are already being implemented in Grenada, Jamaica and Belize. The Barbados pilot project, which is to be implemented over a six month period in the first instance, involves:
- A backlog reduction program aimed at eliminating the number of reserved judgments and part heard cases in the High Court;
- The hiring of three temporary judges;
- Establishment of a court annexed mediation program; and,
- Mapping with a view to re-engineering the processes in the High Court and Magistrate Court’s Registries.
Additionally, the JURIST Project is funding a two day seminar for the Barbados Bar addressing the ongoing development of the Barbados Civil Procedure Rules. The seminar takes place simultaneously from May 27-28, 2015 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre and seeks to provide the Barbados legal fraternity with a comprehensive understanding of the recently introduced Civil Procedure Rules.
For further information please contact:
Ms. Allison Ali
Communications Specialist,
JURIST Project
Caribbean Court of Justice
Tel: (868) 623-2225 ext 2225 | Mobile: (868) 383-6408
E-mail: aali@juristproject.org
