The Legal Aid Council will host its quarterly Justice Fair in Kingston on March 29 at the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre.
This event will provide Jamaicans with the opportunity to receive free legal advice.
“The Justice Fair seeks to bring legal services to the public at no cost. Persons will be able to make consultations with the Registrar General’s Department, the National Housing Trust, the National Land Agency, the Office of the Public Defender and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions,” Executive Director of the Legal Aid Council, Hugh Faulkner, told JIS News.
He said that lawyers will be present at the fair to provide advice and guidance on a number of legal matters.
“At the Kingston Justice Fair, there will be lawyers from the Ministry of Justice’s Criminal and Civil Justice Administration Unit, so persons with expungement issues can come and get the forms and guidance they need,” Mr. Faulkner said.
He also noted that other representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Office of the Children’s Advocate and the Consumer Affairs Commission will be in attendance.
“We have found that the distribution of Legal Aid Clinics in Jamaica could be vastly improved, so not many persons are within close proximity of a Legal Aid Clinic. Accordingly, with the Justice Fair and our mobile units, our legal services are brought to the people,” Mr. Faulkner informed.
“Many times persons have legal issues, and because they cannot find the retainer to seek legal assistance, they either leave the matter in limbo or sometimes it creates disputes and other anti-social behaviours,” he added.
The Justice Fair is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.
Under the Legal Aid Act, the Legal Aid Council is mandated to provide legal representation to persons in conflict with the law who are of small to modest economic means. It is a statutory entity under the Ministry of Justice and oversees the administration of an efficient and coordinated legal-aid system in Jamaica.