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Legal Aid Council providing representation for St James detainees

Published:Monday | January 22, 2018 | 12:00 AM

The Legal Aid Council says it is providing legal representation for persons who have been detained under the state of public emergency in St James.

The council says it has collaborated with Cornwall Bar Association to make 19 lawyers, including six senior attorneys, available to represent detainees.

Persons who have been detained or their families may contact the Montego Bay Legal Aid Clinic on Union Street at 952-2183 or call the Cornwall Bar Association at 940-1960.

Persons are also being encouraged to visit the Instagram and Facebook Pages of the Cornwall Bar Association for a list of the lawyers who have been rostered to provide legal aid.

The state of public emergency was declared in St James last week Thursday by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in response to the parish's prevalent crime rate.

St James closed 2017 with the highest homicide rate on the island, with 335 people killed.

Since the declaration of the state of public emergency, the security forces have detained several persons including alleged gang leaders.