SECOND CHANCE Justice Minister Delroy Chuck says there is no longer a backlog of expungement applications following the recent amendments to the Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Amendment Act (2026). Chuck made the disclosure on Sunday at the Eastern Region Assize Church Service at East Queen Street Baptist Church in downtown Kingston, marking the start of the 2026-2027 legal year. The service, attended by Chief Justice Bryan Sykes and members of the legal fraternity, was held under the theme ‘Embracing Justice: Restoring Righteousness and Hope’.
Llewellyn defended wedding invitation from ex-inmate in story of redemption Former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn never expected a wedding invitation from a former inmate she had encountered as a state witness. When it came, she was surprised but accepted, despite staff members warning her not to attend. “Miss Llewellyn, you can’t go. Don’t you see he was a criminal?” she recalled them telling her. But Llewellyn had seen firsthand the power of a second chance and told them to “ calm down”.
‘Never okay’ - Morris Dixon orders probe into children abandoned at hospital Youth Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon says a probe has been launched to determine the circumstances that led to five children remaining in the care of the Spanish Town Hospital for several months after being abandoned by their families. Morris Dixon said leaving vulnerable minors in long-term institutional care without family affection is an administrative breakdown that can “never be seen as okay”. “With children, we have to be especially careful, and we have to be especially responsible,” said Morris Dixon.
‘Father God gave me a second chance’ WESTERN BUREAU: When Hurricane Melissa destroyed their home in Watercrest district in Ferris, Westmoreland, last October, Damion Farquarson and his family had no choice but to seek refuge in an out-of-use slaughterhouse. But thanks to the Westmoreland-based Foster Triplets Ministries, which is led by sisters Malaika, Mahari and Mikaili Foster, they are now back into a comfortable house, which has given them the foundation needed to rebuild their lives.
Gov’t says local farmers to get first choice in supplying tourism sector The Government is moving to have local farmers get first preference in supplying the tourism sector as the country targets 10 million visitors and US$10 billion in tourism earnings over the next decade. The move is in keeping with the tourism ministry’s Tourism 3.0 development framework, which is aimed at strengthening linkages and building capacity across local industries to ensure that more Jamaicans participate directly in the tourism value chain.
TB fears in lock-up Two persons arrested and charged, and who were being housed at the Duhaney Park Police Station lock-up, are suspected to have died from tuberculosis (TB) within 15 days of each other after being admitted to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). One of the incarcerated men died within 15 minutes of being taken to the hospital in late August, while the other died on September 5, The Sunday Gleaner has learned.
Fleeing Cuba, finding Jamaica There is a quiet surge in the number of Cubans seeking temporary residence in Jamaica, with approvals by the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) increasing by 60 per cent over the last five years. Official PICA data obtained by The Sunday Gleaner through the Access to Information (ATI) Act reveals that temporary residence permits granted to Cubans rose from 374 in the 2021-2022 financial year to 601 in 2025-2026. The steady upward trajectory was marked by 435 approvals in 2022-2023, 297 in 2023-2024, and 421 in 2024-2025.
Deadly Smith Lane blaze kills young siblings Two children perished in a deadly fire at their home in Smith Lane, downtown Kingston, yesterday morning. The children have been identified as seven-year-old Keriecia Hutchinson and her four-year-old brother, Samson Cameron, both students of Calabar All-Age School. It is alleged that the children were in the house by themselves as their mother went to buy groceries. The children were living with their parents and were their mother’s only children. Tyrone Hamilton, a neighbour who attempted to rescue them, described what happened.
STICK TO CODES - JTA president rejects anything-goes approach to school dress, public standards Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President La Sonja Harrison is calling for a return to stricter dress-code standards in public spaces, including schools and financial institutions, arguing that established rules should be respected and upheld. Harrison made the comments while responding to a question about dress codes in schools during a Rotary Club of Kingston luncheon at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Thursday. She, however, noted that all schools have clear guidelines governing acceptable attire.
Furniture shortage, repairs delay Black River Primary reopening A week after the start of the new academic year, classes are yet to resume at the Black River Primary and Infant School in St Elizabeth as work continues to restore hurricane-ravaged classrooms. The school has approximately 819 students, none of whom are currently receiving classroom instruction as unstable Internet connectivity makes online classes impossible. Administrators blame construction delays, including electrical retrofitting, and a shortage of furniture for the school’s lack of readiness.