Published 7 September 2022
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St Kitts and Nevis News Source
Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 06, 2022 (SKNIS): Laws governing child protection and
juvenile justice in St. Kitts and Nevis are being reviewed at a two-day workshop organized by
the Ministry of Social Development, Gender Affairs, Ageing and Disabilities.
he review, commissioned by Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley,
began on Tuesday (September 06, 2022) at the Early Childhood Development Conference Room.
It marks the first legislative action for the Ministry under his leadership. It brings together
various stakeholders across child protection and juvenile justice systems including parents and
juveniles.
Permanent Secretary Janelle Lewis Tafari said that the review is particularly important as it will
help to establish clearly defined roles for the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs
and the Probation and Child Welfare Board.
“Today we meet as agency representatives of child protection and juvenile justice to discuss and
deliberate on one of the most important tenets of our child protection system, the Probation and
Child Welfare Board,” Mrs. Lewis Tafari shared at a brief ceremony to mark the start of the
consultation. “
The Board was established in 1994. It has oversight for the care and protection of children and
gives guidance to the relevant government departments. The Permanent Secretary noted that in
2013, the functioning of the Board was enhanced following the enactment of several pieces of
family legislation modelled after the OECS family law reforms bills. The expanded
responsibilities resulted in an overlap and ambiguities in some cases, of some roles and
responsibilities.
“For example, [prior] to 2013, our probation officers could go to the court and present a case to
remove a child from a situation where they were being abused,” she stated. However, as the
reforms took place, “the officers were now told by the court, in accordance with the law, they
needed a lawyer from the Board.”
This review workshop is being facilitated by Rohan Walters, Crown Counsel and legal advisor to
the Probation and Child Welfare Board. Revisions will focus on the functions of the Probation
and Child Welfare Board Act and complementary legislation.
Honourable Isalean Phillip, Junior Minister of Social Development and Gender Affairs, is
participating in the two-day workshop. She encouraged the participants to be candid during the
deliberations and assured them of the government’s commitment to this exercise.
“I want to reiterate the commitment of your ministers to take these recommendations to consider
them, to take them to Cabinet. We’ve already kind of earmarked to the attorney general that we
are coming with this legislation,” the Minister stated. “We are going to make sure that this social
development and this Child Welfare Board Act and all of the legislation that are connected to
that is prioritized because we are doing this in the interest of our children.”
Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley also attended the opening
ceremony.
