Public Defender Redress Road Tour Reaches Nine Portland Communities in First Parish Rollout

People living in Portland now have a clearer path to the services offered by the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), thanks to the agency's Redress Road Tour 2026.

From June 15 through July 3, outreach teams moved through nine communities in the parish. At each stop, residents could voice concerns, ask for advice, and find out how the OPD handles grievances against government bodies and suspected violations of constitutional rights.

Kayla Beckford Harrison, the OPD's Director of Investigations, said Portland marks the opening leg of the tour and that the programme will soon extend to other parishes across the island.

During the July 1 session at Boston Bay, she told JIS News that the roadshow was built to sharpen public understanding of the Office's role while bringing its work closer to ordinary Jamaicans.

"It's basically to highlight what the Office of the Public Defender does, what we can and what we cannot do, as well as to get other entities on board… just to bring our services to the Jamaican people," she explained.

The tour has also allowed officials to respond to issues tied to particular neighbourhoods. In Portland, where work is advancing on the Port Antonio Bypass, residents flagged worries about land ownership, resettlement plans, and how much detail they are receiving about the project.

"Some persons are saying they're not getting enough information. We are stepping in to try to find that information, to share it with the people, and to see how best we can find a way to assist them," Mrs. Beckford Harrison said.

She described the Office's dual remit. First, it looks into complaints against government ministries, departments, and agencies when someone believes a rightful service was withheld even after they tried to settle the matter directly with that body. Where warranted, the Public Defender can launch an independent review and put forward recommendations to settle the dispute.

"The second part of our mandate is with constitutional breaches. So if you feel that a constitutional right that is highlighted is being breached by any government ministry, department or agency, you can come to us and we will see how best we are able to assist you," Mrs. Beckford Harrison said.

She stressed that the assistance carries no fee and plays an important part in holding public institutions to account.

Several other state bodies joined the Redress Road Tour, among them the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), previously known as the Registrar General's Department (RGD); the Office of the Children's Advocate; the Consumer Affairs Commission; the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs; and the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

Beyond information booths at each venue, OPD staff also walked into surrounding areas to speak with residents who could not reach the formal sessions.

As the tour proceeds, Mrs. Beckford Harrison urged the public to treat the Office as a final step rather than a first stop. Complaints should be taken to the relevant ministry, department, or agency and pursued through that body's own internal process before the OPD becomes involved.

"It can't be a case where you go to an entity, you did not like the service and you come straight to us. Every government office has their own internal mechanisms to deal with complaints… you have to try that, and if nothing, then you come to us," the Director said.