Increase Access to Information on the Justice System (JM0004)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address? The mandate of the Ministry of Justice centers on the provision of policy support and analysis on justice issues as well as support to the maintenance of an efficient and fair system of justice which is accessible to all; the promotion of respect for rights and freedoms, the rule of law and the Constitution and the promotion of and awareness of individual responsibilities and civil obligations. In discharging this mandate the Ministry of Justice is championing an ambitious justice reform program geared to enable effective and efficient responses to challenges within the sector and is leading the process of modernizing the institutions, administration and operations of sector institutions. Within this context, the Ministry‟s public interface centres on a commitment to deliver justice for all by creating an enabling environment through a mix of policy, legislation, human and capital resources and services to yield an increase in access to justice outcomes and services. Access to justice is a critical pillar for sustainable development and the achievement of social and economic development and an increase in access to justice services is viewed as critical to the Ministry‟s mandate. However access to justice remains a complex issue characterized by economic, social, structural, cultural and institutional barriers, including citizen disengagement, the intricacy and cost of legal processes, as well as the need to deepen partnerships across Government. This also includes the unique challenge which flows from low levels of awareness among stakeholders and the general public on human rights, freedoms and responsibilities of citizens, including as provided in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms in the Jamaican Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (See for example Jamaica Citizen Scorecard). To date this has led to a failure to translate and apply human rights concepts reflected in documented failures in recognizing when human rights violations take place. There are also constraints in the existing sources of information on the justice system in Jamaica, including the limited functionality, relevance and effectiveness of the existing Ministry of Justice laws of Jamaica webpage, significant information gaps on the existing webpage, and backlogs in the upload of new legislation and legislative changes.

What is the commitment? Increase access to information on and public awareness of the Justice System and Human Rights

How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem? The Jamaica Legal Information Portal (JLIP) will increase access to information on all existing Laws, regulations and subsidiary legislation, official information contained in the Jamaica Gazette publications, and timely notification of judicial and legislative developments. The JLIP will be in keeping with international best practice premised on the principle that every person has the right of free access to public legal information, which empowers citizens and supports efficient and timely justice processes. The Human Rights and Justice Public Education Programme and the expansion of the Democracy in Schools and Integrity in Schools clubs will provide increased information on human rights and open governance to a broad cross-section of stakeholders and the Jamaican public, including children and youth.

Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values? The commitment to increase access to information on and public awareness of the Justice System and Human Rights is relevant to the following OGP values: 1. Access to Information: The Jamaica Legal Information Portal will increase access to information on all existing Laws, regulations and subsidiary legislation, official information contained in the Jamaica Gazette publications, and timely notification of judicial and legislative developments. The Human Rights and Justice Public Education Programme and the expansion of the Democracy in Schools and Integrity in Schools clubs will provide information on human rights and open governance to a broad cross-section of stakeholders and the Jamaican public, including children and youth. 2. Civic Participation: The Human Rights and Justice Public Education Programme and the expansion of the Democracy in Schools and Integrity in Schools clubs will involve the participation of civil society organizations involved in human rights, and children and youth in schools. 3. Technology and Innovation for Openness and Accountability: The Jamaica Legal Information Portal and the virtual, online and social media components of the Human Rights and Justice Public Education Programme and the expansion of the Democracy in Schools and Integrity in Schools clubs will deploy technology to increase access to information on and public awareness of the Justice System and Human Rights in Jamaica.

Additional information The commitment to increase access to information on and public awareness of the Justice System and Human Rights is aligned with:  The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act 2011, which expanded the rights in Chapter III of the Jamaican Constitution  Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)  International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)  International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)  Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Plan – National Outcome No. 6 Effective Governance, including National Strategy 6-2 Reform the Justice System and 6-3 Ensure Tolerance and Respect for Human Rights and Freedoms  Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework (MTF) for the relevant three-year period  Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – Target 16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all

Milestone Activity with a verifiable deliverable Start Date: End Date: Establishment of Jamaica Legal Information Portal (JLIP)  Establishment of an efficient and comprehensive digitization mechanism  Pilot of JLIP portal April 2022 April 2022 September 2022 March 2023 Conduct stakeholder consultations on preparation of Human Rights and Justice Public Education Programme March 2022 April 2022 Complete preparation of Human Rights and Justice Public Education Programme March 2022 June 2022 Implement Human Rights and Justice Public Education Programme April 2022 June 2023 Expand programme for Democracy in Schools and Integrity in Schools clubs April 2022 June 2023

Action Plan Review

Commitment 4. Increase Access to Information on and Public Awareness of the Justice System and Human Rights

● Verifiable: Yes

● Does it have an open government lens? Yes

● Potential for results: Modest

Results Report

Commitment 4. Increasing Access to Information on the Justice System and Human Rights

This commitment aimed to create the Jamaica Legal Information Portal (JLIP)—an online repository of legal and judicial information—and an initiative to promote access to justice through the Human Rights Education Program (HREDP) alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. While internal processes (e.g., completing procurement process to hire external consultants and scanning documents to populate the portal), the portal had not gone online. Budgetary constraints prevented this commitment from generating early results.