As part of the support for the establishment of the Sexual Offences Model Court in Antigua and Barbuda (SOMC), the Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening (JURIST) Project will be conducting a series of training workshops during the months of July and August, 2018. The training workshops will be delivered to a cadre of professionals including magistrates, court personnel, police, prosecutors, medical professions and victim support personnel from the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The workshops have been designed to increase the capacity of justice sector actors to effectively manage sexual assault cases and provide survivor-centred support to complainants.
The SOMC is a set of specialized court procedures for the treatment of sexual offences. These specialized procedures include, tighter pre-trial case management, special waiting room at the High Court, fast tracking for sexual assault cases and the use of video conferencing technology, which will allow vulnerable complainants to give evidence from a remote testimony room.
The schedule of training inclusive of dates, facilitators and objectives are outlined in the table below.
| Participants | Dates | Facilitators | Broad Objectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| All justice sector stakeholders | July 4-5 2018 | -Dr. Diane Douglas & Natalie O’Brady (Douglas and Associates) | The training is intended to equip justice sector stakeholders with the necessary skills to: (a) deal with complainants sensitively and therefore prevent revictimization by the justice system and (b) handle secondary trauma, which might result from having to engage with the traumatic circumstances of a sexual assault. |
| Police officers | July 13-15 2018 | -Inspector Cherise Johnson (CISOCA, Jamaica Constabulary Force) | Increase police officers’ competence in the reporting and investigation of sexual offences |
| Magistrates from Antigua and other OECS independent states (Sensitivity towards sexual assault complainants and secondary trauma) | July 19-20 2018 | -Dr. Diane Douglas & Natalie O’Brady (Douglas and Associates) | The training is intended to equip justice sector stakeholders with the necessary skills to: (a) deal with complainants sensitively and therefore prevent revictimization by the justice system and (b) handle secondary trauma, which might result from having to engage with the traumatic circumstances of a sexual assault. |
| Magistrates from Antigua and other OECS independent states | July 21-22 2018 | -Hon. Mme. Justice Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds (High Court Judge, Trinidad and Tobago, Judiciary)-Hon. Mme. Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall (High Court Judge, Judiciary of Guyana) | This is intended to strengthen the capacity of magistrates to resolve sexual assault cases in a manner that caters to both the rights of the complainant and defendant. |
| Prosecutors from Antigua and Guyana | July 25-27 2018 | -Hon. Mme. Justice Kathy- Ann Waterman-Latchoo (High Court Judge, Trinidad and Tobago Judiciary)-Her Honour Michelle Salmon (Parish Court Judge, Trinidad and Tobago Judiciary) | The training is intended to assist prosecutors to effectively prosecute sexual assault cases. |
| Medical Professionals | August 3 2018 | -Dr. Sheryl Burke (CISOCA, Jamaica Constabulary Force) | Assist medical professionals with how to conduct examination of sexual assault complainants |
