More changes announced to court operations

Additional changes have been made to the operations of the island's courts in light of COVID-19.

Changes below:

Criminal Cases

All hearings in the Home Circuit Court Division of the Gun Court, the High Court Division of the Gun Court, the Western Regional Gun Court are suspended from May 11 to May 29. All sittings are expected to resume on June 1.

During the period of suspension, emergency matters and matters deemed fit for hearing by the judge will be facilitated. Emergency matters are bail applications, habeas corpus applications and matters where a child is charged with a criminal offence. These matters will be heard from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

No in-person hearings will be heard and emergency matters and matters deemed fit for hearing by the judge during the period of suspension will be facilitated via telephone, video conferencing or any other electronic means.

Additionally, bail for persons scheduled to appear before the Home Circuit Court Division of the Gun Court, the High Court Division of the Gun Court, and the Western Regional Court which were extended to May 11, are further extended until June 1.

Jurors summoned to attend for the period May 11 to May 29 are no longer required to attend and are discharged without any risk of penalty. 

Civil Cases

No open-court matters will be heard, save for delivery of judgments, during the period May 11 to May 29.

Matters in chambers may be heard but remotely or on paper.

There will be no in-person hearings. The court will hear cases other than emergency matters and matters deemed fit to be heard by the judge between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

Regular sittings are expected to resume June 1.

How to get help

Persons seeking to arrange a hearing should send an email to any of the following email addresses:

* Civil Registry – civilregistry@supremecourt.gov.jm

* Matrimonial Division - matrimonial@supremecourt.gov.jm

* Probate Division - probate@supremecourt.gov.jm

* Commercial Division - commercial@supremecourt.gov.jm

* Revenue Court - revenuecourt@supremecourt.gov.jm

Members of the public and all court users should expect significant changes to the operations of the court when full sittings resume on June 1.

For more information, please visit the following websites: www.supremecourt.gov.jm, cad.gov.jm and www.parishcourt.gov.jm or call the Judiciary’s emergency call centre at 888-429-5269, 876-908-0138 or 876-754-3662.

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