MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, has appointed William Orrin Boston as Director of Juvenile Justice, who will now head the Juvenile Justice Department at the ministry.

This appointment was made on January 2, 2019 in accordance with provisions made under Section 76 (1) of the Juvenile Justice Act 2018. The commencement order bringing the act into operation was gazetted on October 10, 2018.

In a release, the ministry said the Act confers on the director among other things, the responsibility of organising and supervising custody, education and rehabilitation of juveniles. The director is also expected to advise the minister on policies and procedures related to the operation of the Juvenile Justice System.

The Juvenile Justice Act 2018 spells out new rights and protections for juvenile offenders. This new Act has now decriminalised truancy, vagrancy and wandering offences. The newly-appointed director is assisted by two deputy directors, both of whom will help in fulfilling the mandate outlined in the Juvenile Justice Act 2018. They are: Attorney-at-law Ms. Joan Ann Edghill-Stuart and Child Activist Mr. André Massiah-Gonsalves.

Boston has served over fourteen years in senior management positions at both local and multi-national institutions, including the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the National Insurance Scheme.

Ms. Edghill-Stuart is an attorney-at-law who is grounded in civil law. She has served as State Counsel at the Ministry of Legal Affairs, and Legal Counsel & Child Advocate to the Child Care & Protection Agency.

Massiah-Gonsalves has over a decade of experience in human rights, child protection and juvenile justice. He is a policy analyst who has served at the Ethnic Relations Commission and the Rights of the Child Commission.

The Juvenile Justice Department will be fostering skills development, rehabilitation, addressing treatment needs, and the successful reintegration of juveniles into the community. These are all critical elements for the maintenance of public safety in society.