We are pleased to present for your reading pleasure, Issue 11 of JURIST News. Featuring in this issue, is the historic opening of the Sexual Offences Model Court (SOMC) in Antigua and Barbuda. A truly ground-breaking initiative with the High Court of Justice in Antigua and Barbuda, the SOMC is intended to introduce specialised procedures to remedy the deficiencies in the court’s handling of sexual offences.
Trinidad and Tobago, and Belize became the first two countries to launch the Gender Protocol which will assist judicial officers in both countries to adjudicate cases through a gender lens. It builds the capacity of judges and magistrates to identify and address the social, economic and cultural circumstances that perpetuate gender inequality in cases dealing with custody, maintenance, sexual violence, domestic violence and human trafficking.
The first of its kind Criminal Bench Book for Magistrates and Parish Court Judges in the Caribbean Region was also launched in December, 2018 in Jamaica. the issues covered in the Bench Book include a broad spectrum of litigation from across the English-speaking Caribbean and it is hoped that it will be the first point of reference for all magistrates and parish court judges. Consistent with the imperative of access to justice for all, the publication provides critical information relating to the norms for conducting a fair and just criminal trial.
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JURIST-Newsletter-Issue-11
