Gentlemen, the judiciary continues its efforts to bring justice to every person on these islands. Throughout 2021, we continued our efforts started in 2020 to work with the Ministry of Infrastructure to renovate buildings in the North and South Caicos Islands for use as dedicated trial courts. We hope that these courts will be ready for operation before the end of 2022. JEI plans to offer this paralegal training free of charge to at least 2 employees each year until all employees in the Registrar and Deputy Registrar level have received the training. Gentlemen, the Standing Orders also provide civil legal aid to indigent persons who may need to pursue or defend a legal action or to obtain explanations relevant to the protection of constitutional rights, including public law matters that benefit the public and enhance our jurisprudence. Areas include: constitutional applications, habeas corpus applications, judicial review applications (if there is a matter of public interest), domestic violence disputes, child protection court proceedings, estate litigation matters, landlord/tenant cases where the tenant is in imminent danger of homelessness. Gentlemen, the judiciary is pleased to have been able to solve the problem of the absence of a roking room in the Grand Turk courthouse. At the opening last year, I had the pleasure to announce that Providenciales lawyers had been given a robing room that can be used to relax and socialize before, between hearings and even after a hard day`s work. Now, lawyers working in the courts of Grand Turk have also been provided with a dress room where they can be used and enjoyed exclusively in the courthouse. As I said at the opening last year, judicial independence includes judicial accountability. With this in mind, I give my masters an account of our judicial work in 2021. It is thanks to the will of your Members, Mr President, that we now have a list of legal aid.
In the near future, I have no doubt that the list of mandatory lawyers and litigators (for civil mutual legal assistance cases) will come into force. Gentlemen, the President spoke about the College Council`s partnership with the judiciary to launch the National Moot Court Competition on October 29, 2021. The judiciary is very proud to be part of this initiative of the Bar Council. We are privileged to have the opportunity to help mentor and guide our youth in this initiative, which will certainly encourage them to view the practice of law as an achievable and attractive career path. The Civil Legal Aid Unit administers legal aid and the Registrar, after approval by the Civil Legal Aid Unit, appoints lawyers to the list of litigators. Registration fees are also waived for cases receiving legal aid. Opening of the 2022 legal year – Speech by the Honourable Attorney General (PDF, 150.73 KB) and the President of the Barreau (PDF, 124.63 KB) and response from the Honourable Chief Justice (PDF, 126.92 KB). JEI looks back on a year of success and success. We have implemented a range of training courses to improve the capabilities of our bailiffs and auxiliaries. Speech by the President of the Law Society, Mass Appeal 2022 Gentlemen, the judiciary currently works with a very small staff that works very hard to meet the needs of the public. The judiciary is working with the Human Resources Department to increase our staffing to improve the resilience and accountability of the institution. We are pleased to announce the step-by-step steps we have taken so far.
We have officially created two new positions. The first is the post of Registrar of the Magistrate`s Court, who will be a legal person with proven experience in court administration and skills to coordinate the activities of the Magistrate`s Courts across the islands. The incumbent is expected to strongly support the Chief Justice. Our efforts, which began in 2020, will continue vigorously and we continue to work with the government to make the implementation of e-justice a reality in 2022. In 2021, JEI launched a program to equip our employees with the paralegal qualification and thus expand our capabilities. To achieve this goal, the Institute is currently funding a Level 3 National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) Level 3 Diploma in Paralegal Practice course for three staff members: Ms. Monic Harvey, Ms. Alvanetta Williams and Ms.
Kandra Williams. M. Carlo Mason, who was our Senior Deputy Registrar for 5 years, has now moved on, as has Ms. Mason. Nalini Shiwram-Kulpa, who also worked as a court administrator for 5 years. We thank them for their service and contribution to a justice system in reform mode and wish them every success in their current and future endeavours. Finally, gentlemen, I renew my personal commitment and that of the judiciary to be tireless in our efforts to live up to our mission of ensuring access to quality justice. We will strive, within our authority, to implement our plans for 2022 and continue to position ourselves to achieve the stature of a resilient and accountable institution.
Gentlemen, Attorney General, 2021 can rightly be described as “the year of menstruation”. Let me comment on the improvements made to the administration of justice through the introduction of rules of procedure in 2021. Speech by the President of the Bar, opening of the 2022 legal year The Supreme Court Rules (amending the Regulations) empowered the Chief Justice to make rules to improve access to justice through early legal aid and the extension of legal aid to certain civil cases. Gentlemen, in 2022 we will pursue further reform initiatives. We will take these strategic priorities into account in trying to achieve them: Gentlemen, in 2021, the judiciary introduced new rules on legal aid. These rules were intended to address certain shortcomings in the legal aid system, ensure a fair distribution of cases and provide for a fairer system for examining applications. They should also hold us accountable as an institution for how we have disbursed public funds. Gentlemen, the judiciary is already engaging its stakeholders to address gaps in the treatment of mental health issues related to criminal justice. In 2022, we will also focus on how to address challenges and gaps in the administration of juvenile justice in order to align them with global best practices.
Gentlemen, I hope that, despite the Assembly`s often overloaded legislative calendar, this regulation will see the light of day as soon as possible, in 2022. Gentlemen, ICE`s 2022 training calendar will be even stronger and more challenging as it will allow for learning in many areas of law and outside the law to equip every person working in the judiciary and our stakeholders with increased skills. In that spirit, gentlemen, I now declare the legal year 2022 open and the courts ready to operate. Gentlemen, in response to the Attorney General`s remarks, allow me first of all to commend the work of the Chambers and their usefulness to the judiciary. Over the past year, from time to time, I have sent messages of appreciation and gratitude to the diligent officials in the Office of the Attorney General. I now formally confirm the cooperation and cooperation that my Office has received from the Chambers in the efforts of the judiciary to ensure access to quality justice. The years 2020 and 2021 have taught us to never take anything for granted and so we don`t take this great mercy for granted that we can celebrate this year`s opening hybrid. We appreciate that. Gentlemen, one of the innovations in the legal aid system introduced by the new legal aid rules is the removal of legal aid from the discretion of the Chief Justice for review by a committee. Please note the following speeches by Law Society speakers here. Gentlemen, the nascent efforts of the judiciary to acquire a library, which I mentioned last year, have resulted in a modest but fully operational library at the Supreme Court in Providenciales, filled with legal reports and current textbooks generously donated by the United Kingdom`s International Law Book Facility (ILBF). The Law Society has full access to this library, which was opened on May 3.3 September 2021 during a small ceremony with the President of the Bar Council, the Registrar of the Supreme Court and the Acting Judicial Administrator.
A plaque commemorating the ILBF donation is displayed at the entrance to the library. The judiciary is deeply grateful for their donation of law books. We are also grateful to the Bar Association for their generous offer to provide a printer to strengthen our efforts in the library. Gentlemen, since the introduction of Covid-19 in 2020, technology enabling virtual proceedings has become the sine qua non condition for judicial work. In 2020, the judiciary launched a program to provide a comprehensive electronic infrastructure. Although much has been accomplished, it is undeniable that the quality of transmission is sometimes poor.