Family Court gets $.42M boost from Canada

The Canadian government has pitched in with close to half a million TT dollars to help pay for a  Family Court expert to assist the local pilot project into a full Family Court system. Canadian High Commissioner, Simon Wade, yesterday presented Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma with a cheque for TT$252,000, the first tranche of a grant worth TT$420,000 over a two-year period towards the Family Court project. The grant was made possible through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Thanking CIDA, CJ Sharma said that in order to ensure proper evaluation, it was felt that the services of an expert should be engaged to assist the monitoring committee of the Family Court by providing advice, system development, training of local staff and, most importantly, monitoring  and evaluation through the production of relevant statistical reports, gathering of user feedback and other measurements. The expert is expected to act as a resource person to the Monitoring Committee for a period of two years, the expected life of the pilot Family Court project. The CJ said, “The expert will work very closely with relevant personnel in the judiciary and will facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills that will redound to our benefit in future reform efforts.”

He explained that the proposal presented to CIDA was to access grant funding for the engagement of a consultant with international expertise in monitoring and evaluation of justice sector projects, with emphasis on mediation and family law practice. Handing over the cheque, Wade said that it was a tangible confirmation of Canadian support of a Family Court. The support is also extended through Canada’s Gender Equality Programme for TT. Wade recalled his direct involvement in the project began with a visit to his office by Canadian judge Justice Nancy Slatter of the Family Court of Calgary and the court’s psychologist Dr Larry Fong. These two, he said, were a real inspiration to him.