Mothers waiting months for overdue child maintenance could soon see quicker payouts, after Chief Justice Leslie Haynes vowed to make speeding up those cases one of his top priorities under a new digital reform of the Magistrates’ Courts.
He was speaking at the District ‘D’ Magistrates’ Court in St Thomas during the handover of new equipment under the European Union–funded PACE Justice project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The PACE Justice project forms part of a regional initiative to reduce criminal case backlogs across the Caribbean, in line with the Needham’s Point Agreement signed by leaders in 2023 and Sustainable Development Goal 16, which promotes peace, justice and strong institutions.
The donation includes more than 100 devices earmarked for agencies across the justice system: 40 desktops and four scanners for the judiciary, 28 desktops, 20 tablets and 20 laptops for the police, 15 desktops and two laptops for the prison service, and four laptops and a multifunction printer for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Chief Justice Haynes described the contribution as the “beginning of the modern era” for the Magistrates’ Courts, saying it would finally allow for the roll-out of a judicial information management system that has been in development for several years.
He said: “It will allow us to increase the efficiencies in the Magistrates’ Courts. It will allow us to ensure that fines are paid, to maintain our records, and collect our data. Collection of data is important because without it, we are unable to make evidence-based decisions.
“We are at the bottom of the hill, but we expect to climb it rapidly.”
He added that one of the earliest priorities would be to speed up maintenance payments to mothers, which he admitted currently take far too long to process.
The chief justice pointed out that the Magistrates’ Courts Act, first passed in 1957, has only had minor amendments in more than seven decades, making reform long overdue.
“It is not only the equipment and the implementation of the judicial information management system,” he stressed. “It is also a question of human resources and training so we can finally make fundamental change.”
Addressing the ceremony, Attorney General Dale Marshall acknowledged that much of the government’s justice reform efforts have so far centred on the High Court, where the number of judges was increased from two to eight and the entire IT infrastructure upgraded.
But he said attention must now shift to the lower courts.
“We have made sufficient strides in reforming our criminal justice system at the High Court,” Marshall said. “Now our attention must shift to the Magistrates’ Courts where day-to-day, people-centred justice is delivered. Your contribution at this time is very important to us.”
He pledged that the government would match the contributions, ensuring that digitisation of the Magistrates’ Courts extends beyond criminal matters to cover civil, domestic and coroners’ cases.
UNDP Resident Representative Limya Eltayeb said PACE Justice takes a “whole of justice” approach, supporting police, prisons, probation and social services as well as the courts.
She said reliance on paper-based systems has been a major source of delay in the Caribbean, and the new hardware will be paired with training for justice officials in case management, prosecution, evidence handling and rehabilitation.
“Eventually, the outcome we seek is fewer delays, fewer adjournments, and faster movement of cases to the higher courts,” Eltayeb said. “Technology alone is not enough, so we are also investing in human capital and training.”
European Union Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska drew lessons from Estonia, where a digital e-file system connecting courts, prosecutors, prisons and police reduced average case times almost in half.
“Our shared ambition is very simple: fewer adjournments, faster listings, and measurable reductions in aged cases, especially in criminal matters where liberty is at stake,” she said.
“These boxes and cables become something more, they restore confidence and deliver justice.” (SM)
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