Program Data Sheet
538-006
USAID MISSION: Caribbean Regional
PROGRAM TITLE: Rule of Law (Pillar: Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance)
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE AND NUMBER: Increased Efficiency and Fairness of Legal Systems in the Caribbean, 538-006
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $ 1,000,000 ESF
PRIOR YEAR UNOBLIGATED AND FUNDING SOURCE: $0
PROPOSED FY 2003 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $ 1,000,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 2000 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2004
Summary: The Rule of Law program in the Caribbean region has two primary components:
- providing technical assistance, training, and commodities to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Courts; and
- training judiciary staff.
Inputs, Outputs and Activities: FY 2002 Program: In FY 2002 Economic Support Funds will be used to strengthen the Supreme Court system of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), which includes six national High Courts and a Court of Appeal. Funds will be used to complete the second phase of an initiative to establish a comprehensive case flow management system. USAID funds will also be used to enhance efficiency of the High Courts and the Court Registries by procuring the services of data entry clerks who will transcribe case information from approximately 10,000 cases into a computerized system. This system is designed to track the progress of all civil cases from initial filing to final disposition. Building on recent success establishing a pilot automated court reporting system in Dominica, USAID will replicate the model in three additional High Courts in the Eastern Caribbean. Technical assistance and training will be provided to court staff and court reporters, and automated court reporter equipment will be procured. When the case-flow management and court reporting systems are fully operational at the end of FY 2002, USAID projects that 900 of the backlog cases will be cleared from the system.
Further efforts to reduce the large number of backlogged cases in the system will be addressed by the introduction of an alternative dispute resolution program in the Eastern Caribbean. A pilot mediation system in St. Lucia will provide a court-connected mechanism for resolving civil disputes outside of the court system. If successful, this program will be replicated in other Eastern Caribbean countries. Under the judicial training program, courses will be conducted in areas such as telecommunications law for Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) judges. In addition, USAID will help the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat establish a new Caribbean Court of Justice by providing technical assistance to develop a public education program to build recognition and support for the Court.
Planned FY 2003 Program: USAID plans to use FY 2003 resources to: 1) replicate positive features of a court-sanctioned alternative dispute resolution system in selected countries; 2) establish two automated court reporting systems in the Eastern Caribbean; 3) continue implementation of the regional judicial training program by conducting four courses using distance education methods; 4) provide technical assistance to support establishment of the new Caribbean Court of Justice; and 5) provide technical assistance on revisions and reforms for civil and criminal laws in the region.
Performance and Results: As a result of USAID activities, the first phase of the comprehensive caseflow management system has been completed. In addition, USAID instituted a pilot court reporting system in Dominica this past year, significantly reducing the time it takes for judges in Dominica to provide written judgments on cases, and increasing the availability of transcripts of court proceedings.
| USAID established the first automated court reporting system in Dominica. For the first time in history, an Eastern Caribbean court can produce a 221-page transcript within 24 hours of the completion of court proceedings. |
Remarkable progress has also been made in expanding and enhancing the Faculty of Law Library at the University of the West Indies campus in Barbados (the repository of all legal materials for the Caribbean Commonwealth). Automation of the regional case reporting system will allow approximately 10,000 decided cases dating back to the 1950s to be accessed by judges, lawyers, and clients throughout the region.
With successful completion of this program in 2004, the ability to adhere to democratic principles of governance and the rule of law will be strengthened. This will support a more open democratic system, and benefit not only members of the legal profession, but also private entrepreneurs, investors, average citizens, and other members of the wider public.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID activities are implemented through the OECS Supreme Court, the OECS Secretariat (prime), the CARICOM Secretariat, the University of the West Indies, and various short-term contractors from the United States.
US Financing in Thousands of Dollars
|
538-006 Increased Efficiency and Fairness of Legal Systems in the Caribbean | DA | ESF |
|---|
|
Through September 30, 2000
|
| Obligations | 120 | 2,000
|
| Expenditures | 120 | 30
|
| Unliquidated | 0 | 1,970
|
|
Fiscal Year 2001
|
| Obligations | 0 | 1,975
|
| Expenditures | 0 | 393
|
|
Through September 30, 2001
|
| Obligations | 120 | 3,975
|
| Expenditures | 120 | 423
|
| Unliquidated | 0 | 3,552
|
|
Prior Year Unobligated Funds
|
| Obligations | 0 | 0
|
|
Planned Fiscal Year 2002 NOA
|
| Obligations | 0 | 1,000
|
|
Total Planned Fiscal Year 2002
|
| Obligations | 0 | 1,000
|
|
Proposed Fiscal Year 2003 NOA
|
| Obligations | 1,000 | 0
|
| Future Obligations | 0 | 0
|
| Est. Total Cost | 1,120 | 4,975
|
|
