The Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Department of Court Services will host the official opening of the Bermuda Mental Health Treatment Court Programme (MHTCP) on Thursday, 20 October. After years of preparation and development, the Ministry, in partnership with other agencies, launched the pilot programme in October, 2013 The programme models the Drug Treatment

Motorists convicted of drink-driving could be referred to Drug Treatment Court by judges for the first time after a ground-breaking decision by the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Ian Kawaley ruled that section 68 of Criminal Code, which provides for the DTC programme, embraced alcohol addiction and allowed magistrates to sentence those convicted of traffic offences

The groundbreaking Mental Health Court is saving lives and giving participants fresh hope for the future. This according to the men and women who have taken part in the treatment programme as well as the team of lawyers, probation officers, court services staff and judges that work to provide the service. In the past two years,

Within a criminal justice system they have long been loath to trust, non-violent drug offenders are finding empathy, therapy and support — with astonishing results. Clients who complete Bermuda’s progressive Drug Treatment Court — a court-supervised treatment programme — are significantly less likely to commit crimes again than those who serve prison time, according to