Black Immigrant Daily News

Vidéo Grand JT des Territoires

Retrouvez, chaque semaine, le « Grand JT des Territoires » de Cyril Viguier, diffusé sur TV5 Monde, en partenariat avec France-Antilles.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The House of Assembly passed the Virgin Islands Jury Act, 2022 with amendments after coming out of committee on Oct. 25, according to HOA Public Relations Officer Linton Leonard.

However, the video of the vote — which normally would have been broadcast on YouTube — was unavailable as of Beacon press time on Oct. 27.

The Virgin Islands Jury Act, 2022 — which Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley introduced in the House of Assembly on Aug. 9 — would replace a 1914 law that leaders have described as outdated in many respects.

During an HOA debate following the bill’s second reading on Oct. 18, legislators expressed support for many of its measures, but they argued over provisions designed to facilitate the addition of some non-belongers to the juror list.

The bill was amended during the closed-door committee stage, Mr. Leonard said, but because it still awaits the governor’s assent the final version passed by the HOA has not yet been made public.

Existing system

Under the Jury Act 1914, the High Court Registry is required to select eligible jurors from a list that includes non-belongers who have lived in the VI for at least ten years. In practice, though, jurors historically have been selected from the list of eligible voters, which excludes long-term non-belongers.

Partly because of this issue, jury trials were temporarily halted in July 2019 after then-Director of Public Prosecutions Kim Hollis successfully challenged the jury list in High Court. In her challenge, she took issue with the use of the voter registry to select jurors.

A judge ruled in her favour, finding that the list formerly used for jury selection was unconstitutional. A new list of jurors was subsequently created, the Deputy Governor’s Office said in early 2020. But the office declined to make the list public or say whether it includes non-belongers.

Last year, the Commission of Inquiry reviewed the issue, and Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom ultimately recommended considering a revised Jury Act. In support of that recommendation, Sir Gary cited input from Director of Public Prosecutions Tiffany Scatliffe-Esprit.

“The jurisdiction of the BVI is small, and finding jurors who do not know and are unrelated to witnesses and the accused is challenging,” the COI report states. “These eligibility requirements have the effect of significantly restricting the size of the jury pool. The DPP considers that the eligibility criteria should be revised, e.g. to allow those aged 18 and above and those who have been resident for five years (as opposed to 10 years) to be jurors.”

In keeping with Sir Gary’s recommendations, the COI implementation framework agreed by the United Kingdom and VI governments gave the HOA a July 31 deadline to consider “revisions to the Jury Act, in consultation with the governor, to increase the size of the jury pool of jurors to ensure the jury system is effective.”

Proposed law

The initially Gazetted version of the new Jury Act, like the existing law, would allow non-belongers who have lived in the territory for at least 10 years to serve on juries. But it also includes new provisions designed to facilitate this rule in practice, court officials explained during public meetings on the bill earlier this month.

The proposed law, for instance, would allow the jury selection panel to use additional methods to obtain information about potential jurors, including seeking input from the chief immigration officer, the registrar general, and the director of Social Security Board, officials said.

The bill would also create a “Jury Management Database” that would be published annually.

Limited list

During the Oct. 18 debate on the bill, Dr. Wheatley said he understands the need to address judicial officials’ complaints about the limited list of jurors and the challenge of finding candidates who don’t have connections to any of the interested parties in court cases.

“Of course, persons raised concerns about the bill, and these are issues that we’ll have to deal with in debate and in the committee stage,” he said at the time. “It is important to know that the current act is very old and in need of modernisation.”

Governor John Rankin said in a press conference on Oct. 19 that he agreed it would be a smart move to expand the jury pool based on the recommendation of the COI.

“I think it’d be a good move for two reasons: One is, at the moment, the number of people on the jury list is a limited number, and there can be challenges in compiling a jury which might not know the persons involved or know details of the facts involved. … So having a wider juror list helps ensure you have a jury which will be objective.

“The second point I would make is that as matter of fundamental justice, people have a right to be tried by their peers, and if you restrict the jury to only one set of persons living here in the BVI, then you reduce your opportunity to have a jury of peers. I believe it would be a positive move.”

However, during the Oct. 18 debate some legislators shared concerns about expanding the pool in this way, instead calling for a more exhaustive approach to seeking belongers who are already eligible to serve but don’t get called.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

After three surgeries and seven years of fighting breast cancer, Donavan Chevannes is crediting God for bringing him this far in his fight against the disease that is a rarity in men.

The 58-year-old former chauffeur is still on the road to recovery, but he’s eagerly anticipating the day he will be declared cancer-free and considered a “breast cancer survivor”.

Until that day comes, Chevannes is thanking God for his mercies so far.

“I wouldn’t want not even my enemy to have this (breast cancer)… I have been fighting from 2015 to 2022, and see, I am still here… To God be the glory, for great things he has done,” he told Loop News in an interview.

The Guava Ridge, east rural St Andrew resident did not know it was breast cancer until 2017, though he was diagnosed with cancer two years earlier.

He shared that he has always used deodorant and would get the occasional “bump” in his armpit that would often disappear. However, on one occasion, he noticed that the bump came up and would not go away over time.

In 2015, Chevannes’ wife, Lorna, nudged him to check out the bump at their family doctor. The medical practitioner prescribed a cream for it, as it was initially thought to be an abscess.

However, the cream did not help, and the bump remained.

Chevannes said he was immediately referred by his doctor to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) where a biopsy was done. The result: cancer was detected.

“The doctor said, ‘You have cancer’, and I asked, ‘Really?’, and he said, ‘Yes’,” Chevannes recounted, adding that, initially, he was not told what type of cancer.

He was in a state of bewilderment.

“It hit me in a way where I was just thinking it was a bump,” he said, adding that he told his doctor his hunch that it may have been caused by his deodorant.

The medical doctor, however, dismissed that theory.

Guava Ridge, St Andrew resident Donavan Chevannes has been battling cancer for the last seven years.

As the news sank in, said Chevannes, the fear grew, but he laid anchor on his Christian faith.

“You know, I’m walking, and I’m talking to everybody just the same. I was worried, but I put my trust in God and just leave it there because he’s the one; he is the miracle worker,” he declared.

An appointment was made, and surgery done to remove the lump in the armpit later in 2015.

Two years later, the medical practitioners advised Chevannes that they needed to do another operation. He was also formally advised that he had breast cancer.

He elaborated: “One of the time, they (doctors) were saying it was the cancer of the skin based on where it was at, but they settled at breast cancer, a very rare thing among men.”

Chevannes also explained that the doctors couldn’t tell him at what stage the cancer was because it wasn’t moving and was not aggressive.

While the disease is rare in males, representing about one per cent of all cancer cases in the US, medical practitioners have stressed the need for men to be aware and report any lumps on the breast or chest.

Breast cancer in men usually presents itself as a lump in the chest, dimpling of the skin, or changes in the nipple.

“They (the doctors) were saying to me that we need to go in wider because they don’t know if it (cancer) spread over on the other side, so they need to go in at a wider margin.

“So, in 2017, they cut me again, the same place under the arm, because I’m not feeling any pain in the breast or anything,” he recounted.

After that surgery, the father of one said he was put on medication.

But his worries weren’t over.

“In 2020, they said I have to do another surgery because that pill seemed it wasn’t strong enough, and it (cancer) came back. It was in the lymph nodes,” he said.

By June 2020, Chevannes underwent another surgical operation, and lymph nodes affected by the cancer were removed and sent overseas to be tested. He said his brother paid for that testing to be done.

When they got the results, the doctors placed Chevannes on chemotherapy. This involved him being injected in his leg and another in the area of his abdomen. Additionally, he started taking one tablet daily.

Chevannes, a member of the Assemblies of the First Born International Church in Guava Ridge, said his cancer diagnosis was also hard on his family.

“[On one occasion] when my wife came to the hospital, she told me she’s walking, but she’s not walking. It’s like she is not here, especially when I do the operations and am to leave the hospital and go home. My God! They take it so hard,” he explained.

Despite the challenges, his wife and daughter, Chantae, continue to play a critical role for him.

So, too, his siblings, who also offered significant support in his conquering breast cancer.

He said that the National Health Fund was also critical, as it assisted with cutting the cost of medications and other expenses.

Although he has passed the worse since his last surgery in 2020, he still receives monthly chemotherapy treatment and takes his oral medications.

The 58-year-old acknowledged that though it is challenging at times, he continues to follow his treatment routine.

Donavan Chevannes is eagerly anticipating the day when he is declared cancer-free.

“I’m still going through my recovery process. Some people go through theirs in a very short while, but mine is very long,” disclosed Chevannes.

“I don’t have it in my thoughts to give up, but you have the moments when you have some dull moments based on how you feel, because… some of the times you have to rise up in the bed and sit up based on how you feel.

“I’ve come so far now, and it’s not as bad as before,” he stated.

Chevannes disclosed that he did an ultrasound last week, and there were positive signs. However, he said he would await the doctor’s assessment of the results before arriving at any conclusions.

“It has been an uphill and a downhill battle for me. I’ve had some sleepless nights. But, you know, I have to just go through what I have to go through,” Chevannes said firmly.

He added: “The greatest thing is God is my evidence to everything. He is the one that brought me through.”

Chevannes, who was previously a chauffeur and now works as a driver for a company, again underscored the importance of friends and family in his battle with breast cancer.

“All of these operations come with a cost, and as I said before, God always put some people in your corner to make things a little easier.

“You have friends and family; those are the persons that come in and make things easier. That is why I keep saying, ‘To God be the glory’, because he always makes a way when there is none’,” he said.

Chevannes is encouraging men to get screened for all forms of cancer.

“Get tested! If it is something you can detect early, it is better for you, and you can get treatment,” he advised.

He said family members should also play a role in supporting their loved ones if cancer is detected.

“What many people don’t realise is that when you are going through a situation, they can’t determine what you’re feeling, what you’re going through, what is on your mind, but it is best for you to just encourage as much as you can,” he urged.

“It is the time when families are supposed to draw near when you’re going through such a situation and help because the words that you use can… encourage an individual to go on.

“They won’t be in that stage forever. In such a time like that, family is most important to you,” Chevannes insisted.

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The Future Leaders of Jamaica Foundation (FLJ) has set a target of supporting at least 100 high school students with education funding over the next five years.

The commitment comes as the non-profit organisation positions itself to double its sponsorship support for needy, academically-gifted students over the period. Executive Director at FLJ, Dwight Green, made the announcement during the organisation’s recent 10th-anniversary celebration and showcase at the Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston.

“Over the last 10 years, we have graduated 26 fifth-form students and every one of those 26 students attained a minimum of seven CSEC subjects. Seventy-five per cent of our graduates have gone on to universities. We have now challenged ourselves at FLJ, that by year 15 (anniversary), we should be awarding 100 scholarships per year,” said Green.

Future Leaders of Jamaica Foundation’s Executive Director, Dwight Green (right), Director of Scholarship and Outreach, Sacha A. Comrie, Esq, (left), and Director of Organisation Operations, Thornia Smith, express joy and satisfaction on celebrating 10 years of providing scholarships and mentorship to students in various Jamaican high schools.

The executive director shared that during the decade, the organisation has grown from awarding two scholarships in 2012, to offering support to 45 students in the 2022-2023 academic year. Since its inception, FLJ has expanded its support to include benefits such as laptops for each scholarship recipient upon reaching grade 10, for senior students preparing for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), ongoing mentorship, and parental workshops.

Each scholarship recipient receives a renewable grant of a minimum of $35,000 paid directly to their high school which may be used to cover tuition, books, and other educational expenses. The sixth-form students receive $45,000, yearly.

“What was a $50,000 operating expense in our first year, our operating expense for FLJ for the school year 2022 to 2023 is over $5 million,” Green said to rousing applause from those in attendance.

Former Government Minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson who was the main speaker at the anniversary showcase, not only commended the organisation but also called upon society to be encouraged by FLJ’s successful journey as a volunteer group to give back to the education sector.

“There are those who argue that volunteerism and sponsorship are dead. But, FLJ has proven that they have a good product and because of the quality of that product they have been able to garner continuous support to survive in these difficult times,” said Ferguson.

The showcase held under the theme, “Building Dreams”, provided an atmosphere for reflection, celebration, and optimism. The gathering of approximately 250 well-wishers consisted of past and present beneficiaries along with their parents, mentors, guidance counsellors, and local and global donors.

“The financial ease that FLJ has given me to take care of my daughter’s school expenses has overwhelmed me with emotions, because of that scholarship I am now an entrepreneur as I could use funds otherwise to start a business to better take care of myself and my daughter,” said parent benefactor, Georgia Anderson Lewis.

Former beneficiary, now an actuarial science student at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Shane Bennett, said FLJ has been his guiding light to achieve professional success.

“Truly, if education is the passport to the future, then Future Leaders of Jamaica was my pilot. There were several events throughout the years, aimed primarily toward building a greater sense of community and togetherness within the FLJ family. From the traditional events such as the meet and greet and our annual Labour Day projects to the recent talent showcase, these initiatives have assisted me in maturing into a well-rounded and conscious individual,” said Bennett.

High schools whose students have benefitted include St. Hugh’s, Edwin Allen, Excelsior, Holy Childhood, Immaculate Conception, Jamaica College, Kingston College, Campion College, St George’s College, Ardenne, St. Andrew, St. Jago, Wolmer’s Boys, and Wolmer’s Girls.

FLJ also partners with primary schools to identify and select participants for the scholarship programme. These primary schools are Half-Way Tree, Windward Road, Ensom City and Tarrant.

Scholarship recipients are endorsed by their guidance counsellors and principals as persons possessing a high measure of character, strong leadership potential, exceptional academic achievements, and demonstrating a financial need. The organisation has also provided back-to-school supplies to more than 200 needy students at the feeder schools.

As part of its 10th-anniversary activities, FLJ beneficiaries and their parents assisted with the upgrade of the playground and entrance to the Best Care Special Education School in St Andrew.

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