JAMAICAN LAW RESOURCES

I remember being told when I graduated from Law School in the year 2000, there were too many lawyers and too few jobs. Back then there were probably 39 other graduates in my class. Today, I am told there are about 150 students being churned out of Norman Manley Law School alone. Lawyers may be "a dime a dozen" as is often expressed by a certain Permanent Secretary, but "good lawyers are few and far between." There is always a lot of room at the top so aim to be exceptional in your area of practice. If you do what average lawyers do, you will be paid what average lawyers are paid. Be Humble I am almost certain every Jamaican has, at some point in their life, heard the expression, "humble calf drink the most milk". It applies to the practice of law as well. Be prepared for a lifetime of humbling moments in and out of court. Before attending Law School I worked in the Family Court for one year. In that year I learned about some of the things that really...

I can't say deciding to give up my Legal career was the easiest decision I have ever made. In fact, 6 years 3 months later I still experience moments of panic when it hits me, "you really gave up your career to stay home!!" You see, ever since I was thirteen years old I dreamt of becoming a lawyer. Initially, I wanted to become a lawyer because that is what my best friend, Amelia, said she wanted to be. I didn't even know what a lawyer did when she told me but I couldn't imagine being in the world without Amelia. We had been best friends from we were both nine years old. We were always in the same class and we did everything together so there was no way I was going to do something different. When she explained that Perry Mason and Matlock were lawyers my decision was final! I LOVED watching those television shows! When I started studying A' Level law, being with Amelia was no longer my motivation, learning law truly fascinated me.  Being ...

Have you discussed sex with your children as yet? If your child was raped do you know what to do? Many of you may agree with the view that a child should not be told anything at all about sex. Sex is a topic for adults ONLY. Some of you may want to approach the topic with your child but don’t know how to. Unfortunately, given the increase in sexual offences committed against children in Jamaica, if you don’t embark on the discussion early and seek to educate your child someone else will ill-advise them! Which do you prefer? From the prosecutor's stand point the earlier you do the better it is for us. Why? Prosecutors often have to represent victims who are as young as two years old. The youngest child I have personally had to represent was only 4 years old. My eldest victim of sexual assault was 75 years old. To the relief of most parents, most if not all, Primary Schools have a guidance Counsellor on staff. Therefore it is believed the responsibility sex education rests with...

REPORTING STAGE Go directly to the nearest police station and make an honest report there. Give the police a brief report of the incident - state whether or not you knew the assailant - provide a detailed description of the assailant - state the location of the attack - whether or not the assailant was armed - if yes, what with. In the perfect world, the police should delay recording the victim's statement at the time of the report. Please insist on being taken to the doctor first. The report can be taken as soon as you are emotionally able to do so. The police must escort you to the hospital. Pursuant to JCJ Force Orders: No police officer must instruct you to return the following day! MEDICAL EXAMINATION STAGE A vaginal examination will be conducted. Vaginal swabs and smears will be taken from the victim. This is not a painful procedure. If anal sex was involved please inform the doctor. The doctor will take a swab also. IF you were struck by your ass...

Taken from the Ministry of Justice's website: http://www.moj.gov.jm/node/view/22

Dress appropriately! No shorts, t-shirts, no sleeveless, avoid wearing t-shirts bearing obscene graphics, no flip flops, no caps. Rastafarians and other religious groups that cover their heads as a part of their religious rites are allowed to wear their head dress. Unless you are wearing a bush jacket men are required to tuck their shirts into their waistbands. No setters. No breasts and brassieres exposed. No boxer shorts exposed. Depending on the judge men with pierced ears might be required to remove them before addressing the court. Answer the judge respectfully. Despite the popular belief of many a Jamaican, referring to females you have no relation with by terms of endearment such as "baby, mummy, auntie, sweetheart, darling, honey" is impolite. Never ever refer to a female judge or Clerk of the Court as such.  In like manner you do not refer to a male judge as "breddrin, father, my youth." "Yu see me?" is also inappropriate. The Clerk...

Unfortunately, rape is a reality for too many women and young girls in this country. Oftentimes the atrocity goes unreported, and understandably so. The Jamaican rape victim is more often than not raped repeatedly by those uninformed persons with whom the victim is required to interact, having made a report. POLICE Starting with the police. It is said that rape is often committed between 9 pm and 5 am. Yet the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse is closed during those hours. The result is that victims are made to rely on the police officer in the guardroom ... their first point of contact with the system. I recall one mother from a ghetto community testifying that she took her eleven-year-old daughter who had been raped directly to the hospital. She was told by the hospital staff she has to report the matter to the police station with jurisdiction over her community. She got the police station at 9 pm and the police offer said, "Come back tomorrow...