Video: Attorney General On Initiatives

Ministry of Justice Headquarters

Justice Headquarters will continue to direct policy implementation and oversee departmental administrative operations within the Ministry. The Legal Aid scheme will undergo legislative and administrative reform to achieve fiscal sustainability.

The National Anti-money Laundering regime will be bolstered by the establishment of a National Co-ordinator post to co-ordinate an oversee implementation of the national plan to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

Judicial Department

The Judicial Department will fund the case management system (JEMS) which was introduced into the Supreme Court in 2009, following training for all staff members.
All current civil and commercial files are entered in the system upon creation in addition to historical data.

The system will be extended during the 2012/13 fiscal year to Magistrates Court in the Dame Lois Brown- Evans Building. Training has been ongoing and will continue for all staff members, Judicial officers the Bermuda police Service, with a view to full implementation by mid- April 2012.

We will continue to administer the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme within the allocated budget. This scheme provides for compensation to those injured as a result of violent crime. Recommendations have been put forward to amend the scope of the scheme and if adopted should result in a reduction of the overall cost for which in the current year required supplementary funding.

Attorney General’s Chambers

We continue to produce legislation quickly and accurately using the Legislative Information Management System (LIMS) which is customized to our Bermuda drafting style.

We are supported in our maintenance of LIMS through our Canadian vendors who provide timely, professional assistance whenever necessary, and who regularly update our software with the latest versions and bug corrections.

We continue to improve our database and aim to post new laws within a week of enactment on the Bermuda Laws Online website. Statistics provided by our webhosts show that our website attracts large numbers of visits from a number of different countries (for example from April 2010 to November 2011, there were over 90,000 visits from 140 countries) and the website regularly attracts in excess of 5000 “hits” per month.

Department of Corrections

The Department of Corrections objectives for the 2012 – 2013 budget year include:-

1. Protecting the public by holding inmates securely, reducing the risk of re-offending; providing safe, humane, well ordered and lawful regimes and;

2. Providing a humane but demanding regime aimed at reducing re-offending by presenting inmates with a range of opportunities in which reward is linked to effort, to prepare for life after release.

Initiatives and programmes that have been budgeted for in order to achieve these objectives include the upgrade of security equipment and the provision of psychological, social, vocational, educational and health services.

In addition to the provision of health services, initiatives include implementation of an electronic medical records system and introduction of a co-pay system for inmates receiving medical attention.

Funding has been allocated for the Right Living House which has as an overarching objective the reduction of recidivism. Offenders are referred to this therapeutic community and aftercare program for a maximum of 18 months through the Department of Corrections, Court Services and the Parole Board.

Working within the context of the Therapeutic Community, the Right Living House provides individual assessments, individual and group counseling, staff facilitated and peer facilitated groups as well as a structured living environment.

The program aims at seizing the opportunity to ensure that those who re-enter society after paying their debt to society through the penal system, do not find themselves re-entering that system through a revolving door.

Funding is also allocated for the Transitional Living Centre which assists inmates in making a successful transition from incarceration to productive community life.

Department of Court Services

The Mental Health Treatment Court Programme will be established to promote a criminal justice and treatment team-centered approach to this specialized offender group.

This programme will afford more therapeutic intervention and the reduction of recidivism for mentally ill offenders with clearly defined criteria for admittance. It will ensure the delivery of treatment through assessment, treatment and intensive case management in a team oriented and team supervised setting.

This is augmented by judicial oversight of the client and treatment providers’ accountability to fulfilling the Court ordered, individualized service plans with regular reporting on outcomes.

The Young Offenders Act 1950 amendments will be progressed in order to provide consistency with other legislation related to children and young people. Such legislation will also establish compulsory comprehensive assessments and facilitate the implement of innovative and culturally sound restorative justice programmes and services to deter young people from the criminal justice system.

To address the challenges in enforcing conditions of Probation and Parole Orders we will implement new regimes that enhance deliverables through effective case management services which hold offenders and system stakeholders to greater account in minimizing offending behaviours and upholding the protection of the community.

Such initiatives include heightened Court administration of cases to maximize outcomes through regularized case reviews via Re-entry and Review Courts with tiered eligibility for release on parole.

Implementation of an Assessment Centre that will provide comprehensive early assessments, through a centralized repository centre, for youth deemed to be at risk or displaying at risk behaviours. The assessment will outline a tiered sequence of interventions and treatment programmes for the young persons and their significant others.

Prosecutions will be considered only as a last resort and mandatory reporting will be enforced for all service providers in an effort to reduce anti-social behaviours, further family dysfunction, and negative thought patterns.

Service contracts will bind participants to case plans in all phases through to termination. This will boost prevention methods, tighten collaborative interventions and promote more well-rounded and functional individuals and families.

Department for National Drug Control

Administrations main focus in 2012-13 fiscal year is to coordinate and manage the overall operations of the Department; to oversee the launch of the revised National Drug Control Master Plan 2012-2016 and to provide and monitor grants to treatment and prevention service providers.

Prevention will focus on ensuring effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the “Al’s Pals” programme in collaboration with the Department of Education.

The Substance Abuse Prevention After-School Programme for Middle Schools, currently active at Dellwood, Whitney and TN Tatem will continue through fiscal year 2012-13. The programme will be enhanced by the inclusion of a substance abuse Life Skills Programme along with substance abuse education and fun activities.

DNDC will continue to support the community through the provision of Treatment and Supportive residency for adult males and females through the work of the Women’s Treatment Center and Men’s Treatment Center.

The Substance Abuse Co-Ed facility in Dockyard will also be completed in September 2012, offering increased bed capacity for both men and women.

National Drug Control efforts in collaboration with Police and Customs through specialized training and public education initiatives will also be continued.

Department of Public Prosecutions

The Department’s goal for fiscal year 2012/13 is to continue to uphold the rule of law in the administration of justice in Bermuda and thereby assist in the maintenance of law and order in the Islands of Bermuda.

The Director of Public Prosecutions is vested with powers under the constitution of Bermuda to institute and undertake proceedings against any person before the courts of Bermuda in respect to any law in force in Bermuda.

For fiscal year 2012/13 the Department of Public Prosecutions will ensure fair and effective appeals are undertaken in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and effectively manage trials in the Supreme Court and Magistrates’ Court and undertake other hearings in all courts and continue to ensure a high level of prosecutions.

The Witness Care Unit is responsible for providing information and support to all victims and witnesses. The Witness Care Unit will continue to ensure that witnesses/victims are informed and positively engaged throughout the trial process.

The Unit will ensure that witnesses will see the court before hand and when required learn about court procedures. During the fiscal year 2012/13, the Witness Care Unit will 1) provide information to witnesses/victims about the outcome of cases including appeals, 2) provide witnesses/victims information regarding court dates 3) ensure there is someone to accompany the witness to court prior to giving evidence and 4) when appropriate refer witnesses to other helping agencies.

The aim for 2012/13 is to increase Victim Impact Statements and accelerate and/or enhance the support provided to victims and witnesses thereby increasing victims/witness attending court.

In doing this, the Department of Public Prosecutions will increase successful prosecutions and criminal cases will not fail due to the reluctance of witnesses/victims to give their evidence fully.

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