Ministry Of Justice, UNDP, And EU Partner To Enhance Defence Capacity

The Ministry of Justice today launched the Intensive Defence Optimisation Training and Train the Trainer Programme at the Radisson Hotel, Port of Spain. This three-day initiative is part of a broader push to strengthen advocacy, trial readiness, and judicial efficiency through strategic capacity building.

The programme represents a collaboration under the PACE Justice Project, the Partnership of the Caribbean and the European Union on Justice. Proposed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the European Union, the initiative is being spearheaded by the Public Defender’s Department (PDD) within the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority (LAAA) of the Ministry of Justice. By addressing critical capacity gaps for defence counsel and prosecutors, the programme serves as a vital intervention in the Ministry’s ongoing mandate to reduce case backlogs and enhance access to justice.

Highlighting the Ministry’s commitment to a more agile justice sector, Minister of Justice and Minister in the Office of the Attorney General, Devesh Maharaj, emphasised the importance of these initiatives in addressing systemic delays.