Legal Aid Officer with the Legal Aid Council, Kerona Spence, says the move to have consultations via telephone is aimed at safeguarding Jamaicans.
The Legal Aid Council is reporting that client consultations are now being facilitated via telephone.
This is in keeping with COVID-19 health and safety protocols, against the background of rising cases.
Legal aid officer at the council, Kerona Spence, told JIS News that persons who usually visit justice centres islandwide often leave their information, to be contacted by the entity later.
“Persons are still doing that, and the representatives at the centres will contact us with the information for those clients and we get back to them. So even though the mobile justice visits have been suspended, the service is still being offered,” she informed.
The council normally operates the mobile justice units that visit justice and community centres islandwide.
However, these visits have been suspended due to the pandemic.
“We [also] would have… had, as part of our activities, training for justices of the peace and police officers. That has been on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been consideration for offering that service virtually and we are in the process of finalising how we would go about doing that,” Spence indicated.
Spence, who is one of four legal officers at the council, indicated that persons can also call the entity directly and get legal information and advice.
“We have persons who would call wanting information about divorces, land matters, and how to get a will probated, [among other things]. When they call, they [will be able to get] information on how to proceed,” she said.
How to contact the Legal Aid Council
* 876-276-7544
* 876-595-6412
* 876-948-6999
* 876-948-7275
* 876-967-1372