Public safety, law and order are some of the essential principles that govern societies around the world. At the Ministry of Justice we believe that each and every interconnected agency, organization and process holds invaluable responsibilities to furthering the overall progress of St. Maarten and its people.
ORGANIZATION
The Cabinet is tasked with providing policy advice and support to the Minister of Justice. It also advises the Minister on, and handles, politically-sensitive matters.
The Secretary General reports to the Minister for the daily supervision and control of the departments within the Ministry.
The Staff Bureau supports the Secretary General and provides services to the various departments including financial policy control and human resource and organizational regulation.
The Judicial Affairs Department is responsible for a number of tasks including the;
formulation of policy
execution and review of policy as it regards to the internal ministerial environment
inspection of the quality of law enforcement and judicial complaints
preparation and implementation of laws governing the rights of citizens within society and legal procedures
The Ministry plays an integral role in the upholding of justice on St. Maarten. Formerly these responsibilities were managed by the Federal Government on Curacao. Post 10-10-10 our approach is based on a collaborative model to ensure a unified direction within the justice sector. The Ministry is directly responsible for the following agencies:
Immigration and Border Protection Service
Police Corps of St. Maarten
Customs
Prison and House of Detention
Financial Intelligence Unit
Internal Services
The following semi-private/ autonomous organizations also function within the Justice sector and report to the Minister of Justice:
Coast Guard
Court of Guardianship
Judicial Facilities Foundation (Probation & Family Supervision)
Youth Correctional Foundation