Regional Legal Education Review Scheduled for May 2015
The Barbados-based Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean Project (IMPACT Justice) heeds the call from CARICOM Heads of Government, for an urgent review of legal education in the Community. The regional justice sector reform project, funded by the Government of Canada, has approved funding to conduct a survey of legal education in the region.
IMPACT Justice hosted a meeting at the UWI Mona Campus on Monday to discuss the terms of reference for the survey. Participants included representatives from the Council of Legal Education, the Government of Jamaica, the UWI Bursar, a private legal consultancy and IMPACT Justice.
“We have widened the original scope of the survey so that it extends to all tertiary legal education programmes currently available in the region. It will also look at programme structure and funding, the actual and projected need for attorneys in the region and how the programmes can enhance access to justice in the region,” said Professor Velma Newton, regional project director, IMPACT Justice. “Once the terms of reference are finalised, we anticipate that the survey will begin in May this year.”
She also noted that this is one of several activities earmarked for implementation under the regional justice sector reform project.
