EDITORIAL: The sin of poverty and the Jamaican courthouses

One of the biggest sins that any Jamaican can commit is to be poor, financially challenged.
I know this FROM EXPERIENCE. Believe it or not journalists in Jamaica do not get highly paid.. So when someone — malicious who could not have a relationship with me destroyed my newspaper — My practical entrance into the court system.
I didnt read Corruption choking Jamaican courts by Delroy Chuck yet at THIS LINK

I had to secure a lawyer, who is perhaps the biggest embarrassment and poorest excuse for a councillor – I later found out. I didnt know

Enough said.
firstly the judge said she didnt believe me and nothing else mattered. Not any evidence I brought — nothing. In fact its interesting that the defence is given after your testimony and ten there was a break for lunch, so the person easily goes and literally prepare a defense and properly coached by a lawyer.. inconsistencies and all wins.

I marvel therefore at the instincts, focus, wisdom of the judge MM. I appealed. Had to do it myself as because I could not sell my body and not being highly paid, i could not secure more than a volunteer lawyer. Thing about volunteer lawyers YOU ARE NOT PRIORITY. That was dismissed simply because.

now if I had good money, I would have paid a real lawyer like he one who trained the defending pervert to win.
Motion filed for privy council.

SECOND CASE:
I am back — landlady wants triple money I am paying, she does nothing to house situated in an area where monies demanded according to assessment board are nowhere for that house.
After years of paying her each month, she now sends someone to court to get me out claiming repairs. My sins put me at a disDVANTAGE — no lawyer.. so a judge JA who rants and raves when she sees us.. She doesn’t believe their side but gives me 6 months to leave.. and at the end when I am suing for refund of monies for
room landlady seized to earn separate from
– electricity she allows others to use on my metre

In court, I am put at a disadvantage because I simply could not afford a lawyer.. Judges hardly listen,, if they ever do.. at the lower courts when you don’t have a lawyer especially
1. if they don’t think you belong into a court
2. they indirectly are telling you bear it already regardless of your situation – how grave. In my second case, the judge tells me she gives me six months because its not my place — not a legal reason in Jamaican law.. and truthfully as the brought claim was not proven – should have been dismissed.
To now I have not gotten the notes to appeal not to stay in the house.. but to bring the reasons the case was brought that the judge going to a funeral did not hear.
How dARE YOU poorman come before the gods of Jamaica’s lower courts for justice?
THIRD CASE:
Observations
Then as I sat in court, I listened – and think I am going to go again to bring out some of these situations.
Take the man who is brought for recovery of a house. He works on the house and invests funds. The woman who lived abroad gives him notice. Te judge asks him if he got a notice and when he intends to move. Oops… had it not been for a ‘knowledgable person in court – a repeat offender of poverty – he would have been kicked out. Upon suggestions made, the man explained that he had put monies and labour in , perhaps more than the woman. So trial was called and HE WON..
NOTE: It’s not all the time a judge listens…

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To not be able to afford a lawyer is a CRIME in Jamaica. How dARE YOU poorman come before the gods of Jamaica’s lower courts for justice? Legal aid costs are way high. Civil or criminal court — fees are high, especially for persons not working. Thing is most persons are taken to court for the ride, and satisfaction of another’s evil ego or games — and judges can’t see that.

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SOLUTION– Successful now at paralegal studies, I am onto studying law.

_________________ARTICLE: Corruption choking Jamaica courts_________________________

Although criminal court focused , it applies to civil as well.

Arthur Hall and Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writers

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck has again expressed concern about what he describes as the formidable level of corruption in the country’s legal system.

Chuck has also admitted that the justice system is in a crisis and urgently needs improvement.

Addressing a graduation exercise at the Norman Manley Law School in St Andrew last Saturday, the minister charged that there has been dishonesty in all areas of the justice system.

“It is for this reason that one of the priorities of my ministry under our Justice Reform Programme is to build trust and confidence in the justice system,” said Chuck as he told the graduates that they are entering a system that is being threatened by corruption.

“There is corruption within the court and the justice system, where the police have been paid to say they cannot find a witness, or persons have been paid to have documents destroyed – amongst many other things,” said Chuck.

“Cases languish on the books for years with very little progress, clients become frustrated and cannot move on with their lives, sometimes they appease their grievances by taking justice into their own hands,” added Chuck.

He noted that developments in the system leave lawyers with a bad reputation as being of no help while the justice system gets a bad reputation of being of no use.

“What I’m asking you, what I’m exhorting you, do not be tempted to contribute to the problems of the justice system.”

He told the graduates that if Jamaica cannot remove corruption from its justice system, it is unlikely that corruption will be removed from anywhere else.

Integrity and fair play

“Our judges are known for their integrity and fair play but so much more is required of them. They must assist in removing any taint of corruption, vulgarity or malpractice that may exist and they must help us to strengthen public trust and confidence in the justice system.”

The justice minister noted that there are hundreds of thousands of cases that are in the court system for eight months or longer – many for years.

Last year there were almost 460,000 cases before the courts – with more than half being in a state of backlog.

Chuck said stemming the backlog in the court system was everybody’s business as the issue poses real threats to the nation’s economy.

“We are in need of lawyers to resolve honestly, the multiplicity of disputes. I urge all of you, regardless of where you practice, to look for ways in which you can assist your clients to settle matters outside of the courtroom, wherever this is possible,” he urged the graduates.

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