THE EDITOR, Sir:
It is said that people should be proactive. They should not wait until they are in a predicament and then try to extricate themselves. Miss Lou would have said, "Prevention betta dan cure." With this in mind, let us look at the Registrar General's Department (RGD) about and at which numerous complaints are made daily.
People enter into contracts with this government agency which, for a fee, is obligated to provide a service (marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc.) within a specified time period. The RGD (if we are to believe the complaints) regularly breaches this contract and customers are sometimes required to pay an additional fee to correct errors made by the agency. Often times too they have to wait for much longer periods than
contracted with the RGD and no recompense is forthcoming for this contract breach. This waiting
period in some cases exceeds one calendar year.
I do not see why, just as with any other contract breach, the RGD. cannot be taken to court upon the breach of a contract for a remedy to be obtained.
Hopefully, some civic-minded lawyer, a group of lawyers or the Public Defender, will see this and organise some sort of class action with affected RGD. customers in an effort to get justice on their behalf. Perhaps then will Jamaica begin to reap the benefits of the much heralded new, improved, computerised system promised years ago by the RGD.
Incidentally, I have new copies of my birth certificates and I am not a lawyer.
I am, etc.,
ROBERT MITCHELL
mitcib@yahoo.ca
Box 191, Christiana P.O.
Manchester
Via Go-Jamaica
