In an effort to improve public access to revised laws, the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro) to introduce a comprehensive Legal Information Portal in 2023.
The project will be funded by the World Bank. Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte made the announcement during her presentation in the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in Parliament. The creation of Jamaica’s legal information portal will reduce extensive time spent on identifying gazetted laws and notices – that is the word from the Minister Forte. She also said the portal will provide public access to the revised laws of Jamaica, from the 19th century to present, among other things.
Malahoo Forte notes an assessment of the law revision secretariat shows the law commissioners are not involved in the day-to-day tasks. She explains the staff complement is not adequate to keep pace with the volume and scope of work.
Meanwhile, the Minister Forte notes the portal is also complementary to the broader efforts to modernize the country’s justice institutions and processes and will include common law-making judgements of the courts. More details in the report:
