Gov't to spend $137 m to buy vehicles for judges
Published:Thursday | April 14, 2016 | 5:09 PM
Judges in Jamaica's courts are to receive new vehicles this fiscal year as the Government plans to spend almost $140 million to acquire the units.
The planned expenditure was disclosed in the Estimates of Expenditure, which was tabled in the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Of the 15 vehicles, 12 will go to judges. The other three will be assigned as "fleet vehicles".
Taxpayers will have to fork out a little more than $137 million to fund the acquisition.
Delroy Chuck, justice minister, said the new vehicles are needed mostly for new judges who were recently appointed.
"A number of judges have recently been appointed, and a number of judges, their vehicles are now out of service. The allocation is to provide vehicles for the judiciary, which is a part of their contractual arrangements," Chuck told The Gleaner.
There's been a series of judicial appointments in the last 12 months. In March, four new members of the bench were sworn into office.