Description
The bulk of criminal litigation in Jamaica takes place in the Parish Courts with little reference to recorded procedures. On Your Feet: Criminal Practice in the Parish Courts in Jamaica, written by a former Clerk of Courts, codifies the largely oral tradition of practice by presenting a guide to the practical day to day realities of the Parish Court system. Incorporating both legislation and the most up to date case law, and buttressed by over 50 sample documents, the entire sweep of criminal practice in the Parish Court is covered. From jurisdiction to file preparation, bail, forfeiture and fingerprintable offences, to committal proceedings, verdict and sentencing, the exhaustive contents make On Your Feet a ready reference and the ideal tool for the Clerk of Court, defence counsel and Parish Court Judge in particular and generally, for just about anyone whose work may take them into the Parish Court.
Contents
List of Figures and Tables
Table of Cases
Table of Statutes
List of Secondary Legislation
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Foreword by Paula V. Llewellyn, CD, QC
Introduction
- Jurisdiction and the Court Structure in the Parish Court
- Scope of the Duties of the Clerk of the Courts
- The Judge of the Parish Court
- Other Court Staff
- Court Types in the Parish Court System
- Return Court
- Committal Proceedings
- File Preparation
- Case Law
- Evidential Matters in a Case
- Fingerprintable Offences
- Forfeiture
- Relationship with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
- Bail
- When a Matter Starts
- Verdict and Sentencing
- Courtesy, Useful Words, and Phrases in the Courtroom
- Court Orders
- Accounts and Related Matters
- Important Court Books
- Assigned Police Officers in the Court
- Tips for the Clerk of the Courts
- Accused Persons
- Defence Counsel in Court
- Back Desk
About the Author
Nadine C. Atkinson-Flowers is an Attorney-at-Law. A graduate of The University of the West Indies and the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, she has 15 years’ practice having been admitted to the Bar of Jamaica in 2006 and subsequently to the Missouri Bar in the United States of America. She started as a Clerk of the Courts, then moved on as Crown Counsel at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. She later joined the private Bar. Atkinson-Flowers is also a Continuing Legal Professional Development presenter, legal speaker and writer with a focus on general law, ethics and immigration.
