Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre in Alexandria, St Ann. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer

The first session of the highly anticipated commission of enquiry into the deadly fire at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre in St Ann was adjourned yesterday morning in just 20 minutes.

The enquiry, commissioned by Prime Minister Bruce Golding to unearth the circumstances under which a fire took place at the correctional centre, eventually taking the lives of seven wards of the state, is expected to resume in the third week of July.

The tribunal, presided over by Justice Paul Harrison, retired president of the Court of Appeal, determined that the enquiry should be pushed back to allow Deputy Solicitor General Lackston Robinson more time to review the statements he had received from witnesses.

Robinson has so far received statements from the police, fire brigade, members of the correctional services, as well as from the Office of the Children's Advocate.

Robinson also noted that summonses will have to be prepared for some witnesses who may have critical information to contribute to the investigation but were unwilling to come forward voluntarily.

Not unexpected

Former Public Defender Howard Hamilton, who will be representing the Office of the Public Defender alongside David Batts, was keen to point out that the early adjournment and rescheduling of the meeting were not unexpected. He argued that based on the workload of the deputy solicitor general, the postponement was a reasonable decision.

"The delay is (because) the task for the solicitor general is voluminous. He has to go and sort out all those witnesses. We are helping him with witnesses, the children's advocate is helping him with witnesses, the police, the fire department are all taking statements, so it's better for him to take a little time, see what is overlapping and then start because once we start, the commissioner has indicated, we are going to go straight through," said Hamilton.

The decision, however, did not rest well with Susan Goffe, Jamaicans for Justice spokesperson.

Goffe said Jamaicans for Justice would continue to monitor the proceedings of the enquiry as the group had strong concerns, not only about the circumstances of the Armadale fire, but of how children in the care and custody of the state were treated.

Hamilton also disclosed that the Office of the Public Defender would be calling upon an expert witness to address concerns that the fire may have been caused by a tear-gas canister fired by the police into the building where the fire took place.

andrew.wildes@gleanerjm.com