Improving Crime Fund management remains a work in progress

PHILIPSBURG — In April 2019 the Law Enforcement Council made six recommendations for the improvement of the management and supervision of the Crime Fund. In November 2022 the Council completed a report that details what happened to those recommendations. Only one has been implemented, the remaining five are still a work in progress. The Council More...

Minister prevents deportation – attorney Merx happy
~ Merx commends the minister, her staff and the immigration department ~ PHILIPSBURG — Attorney Cor Merx is more than happy with an intervention by Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, her staff and the immigration More...

Justice ministry struggles with regulating the legal position of its employees
PHILIPSPBURG — The Ministry of Justice is “making great progress with the final phase of regulating its personnel affairs,” according to a press release issued by the same ministry. On December 9, 2022, More...

Policy establishes fees for towing cars
PHILIPSBURG — Towed cars could cost their owners or users between $75 and $115 plus a daily storage fee of $15, it appears from the towing policy published in the National Gazette of October 14. The towing More...

Law Enforcement Council: Efforts to combat money laundering are insufficient
PHILIPSBURG — “Don’t tell me what you value; show me your budget and I’ll tell you what your values are,” is a quote attributed to American president Joe Biden that easily comes to mind after reading More...

Chief Prosecutor Buist: “We need more interpreters”
PHILIPSBURG — There is a shortage of court interpreters, especially in the Spanish language, Chief Prosecutor Hieke Buist said last week during the installation of Judge Gert Jan Wouters and the reinstallation More...

Corruption-riddled UNOPS making international headlines
~ Involvement with new Point Blanche prison-project remains to be seen ~ PHILIPSBURG -- Plans for the development of a new prison in cooperation with UNOPS, the United Nations Office for Project Services, have More...

The fight against organized crime is not very effective
PHILIPSBURG — How effective is the fight against undermining and organized international crime? That is a legitimate question, not only in St. Maarten but also in the Netherlands, it appears from an article More...

Second Annual Justice Week Conference a Success for St. Maarten
Philipsburg – The Ministry of Justice held the second annual Justice Week Conference 2022 hosted by the Honorable Minister of Justice Anna E. Richardson from Monday, July 11, 2022, through Wednesday, July 13, More...

Concerns about UNOPS-involvement in construction of new prison
PHILIPSBURG — The Progress Committee is concerned about the participation of UNOPS, the United Nations Office for Project Services, in the construction of a new prison. This appears from the 43rd progress-report More...