What began as a free legal outreach programme during the COVID-19 lockdown to help vulnerable families access justice has evolved into a nationwide crime prevention initiative.
The TTPS Community Justice Clinic is marking five years of service across Trinidad and Tobago.
Attorney-at-Law Sajina Kadir said the initiative, piloted during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Community Justice Clinic, provided free legal representation to vulnerable individuals.
“Many households during that lockdown period, in fact, were in toxic situations where in the household there was disharmony, there was physical violence, emotional abuse, silent treatment, psychological abuse and other similar issues.”
Ms Kadir said matrimonial disputes and domestic violence accounted for most cases in Trinidad, while land and estate disputes were the most common issues in Tobago.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police David Guelmo outlined the number of cases handled through the initiative between 2023 and June 2026.
“For the year 2023, they would have handled 1,214, for the year 2023, they had 797. For the 2025 period, they would have handled 336 cases, and thus far for the period January to June of this year, 193 cases were handled.”
Ms Kadir described the TTPS Community Justice Clinic as an innovative, community-centred approach to crime prevention.
“So, we believe that in providing legal advice, the legal intervention could significantly reduce the likelihood of disputes escalating into aggression, violence, or other types of conduct.”
To mark its fifth anniversary, the TTPS Community Justice Clinic will host a series of virtual sessions titled “Five Nights, Five Conversations”, beginning October 26th. The sessions will cover topics including divorce, child custody, maintenance, property rights, domestic violence, adverse possession, squatters’ rights and probate matters.