Montego Bay, June 28, 2019 – Jamaica – Chief Justice, Hon. Bryan Sykes, says investors are constantly looking to spend their money in countries that have a first-class legal system, and mechanisms to settle disputes amicably.
Speaking at
the Judiciary of Jamaica National Symposium in Falmouth, Trelawny, on June 26, Mr.
Sykes said it is against this background that it is important there be a
redoubling of efforts to meet the goal of having the best legal system in the
region in three years, and being ranked amongst the best in the world in six
years.
Mr. Sykes argued
that in order to achieve these important milestones, the local courts must
continue to be governed by international standards and adopt best practices.
“Increasingly,
when persons are going to invest, what do they look at? They look at the legal
system or the dispute-resolution mechanism,” Mr. Sykes noted, adding that Jamaica
has all the tools to being that shining light in the region.
The Chief
Justice said many First-World economies have been showing how beneficial it is
to have a first-rate legal system, pointing to the United Kingdom as a classic
example of a nation that has been reaping the economic rewards.
“Four years
ago, it was measured at $25 billion and this was just for the provision of
legal services. In other words, the legal system is a contributor to the gross
national product (GDP). And how did it get there? It got there by establishing
its reputation as an efficient, fair, balanced dispute resolution centre,” he
said.
The Chief
Justice said that it is his vison that Jamaica will “become that place”, adding
that “there is no reason why we cannot become the dispute resolution centre for
this region”.
Mr. Sykes
added that Jamaicans should readily accept the reality that investors will not
come to this country for the sake of being hospitable, but will do so because
they are confident that the climate is such where they are comfortable in investing
money that could have gone elsewhere.
“I am
saying that a big part of that is having a legal system that will be fair and
balanced and one that doesn’t take a lot of time to handle disputes,” he pointed
out.
In the
meantime, the Chief Justice said it is important to continue to place emphasis
on hearing date certainty, noting that it remains a surefire way to reduce
delays and clear backlogs, particularly in the Home Circuit Court.
Mr. Sykes
said that it also remains one of several benchmarks that measure the efficiency
of court operations and refer to the certainty that cases will begin on the
scheduled date.
Contact: Garwin Davis
Release: JIS
Photos – Garwin Davis
Header: Chief Justice, Hon. Bryan Sykes (second right) and Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck (right), inspect items on display at one of the booths at the Judiciary of Jamaica National Symposium, held in Falmouth, Trelawny, on June 26.
Insert: Chief Justice, Hon. Bryan Sykes, addresses the Judiciary of Jamaica National Symposium, held in Falmouth, Trelawny, on June 26.