Annual Report of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago 2012-2013 Annual Report 2012-2013 | Page 39
Administration of Workmen’s
Compensation Claims
The Accounts and Investment Unit of the Judiciary is
responsible for the payment or settlement of compensation
funds to injured workmen; or to the dependants of those
workmen who sustain fatal injuries. In the latter case, the
payment is made in accordance with an order of the Court.
Settlement of all fatal claims for citizens of Trinidad and
Tobago is made within six months of the payment of the
lump sum into court while similar settlement in respect of
overseas nationals is made within nine months of the lump
sum payment into court. In addition, all non-fatal claims
are made within one month of the deposit of the lump sum
into court.
During the period June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013, there were
223 claims made for the payment of Workmen’s Compensation. Of these claims 11 are in respect of fatalities for
persons who were nationals of Trinidad and Tobago. There
were 20 applications for the appointment of Medical
referees. There were 21 applications to the Court for the
payment of compensation and a further 171 claims for
compensation for non-fatal, but permanent partial disabilities. The table below shows the Unit’s achievements over
the period June 2012 to May 2013:
Description
No. of
No.
Percent
Applications Settled Settled
• Fatal Claims
• Medical Referees
• Application for Compensation
• Non-Fatal Claims
11
20
21
171
6
20
12
155
55
100
57
91
Non-fatal claims that are not settled during this period are
in relation to persons who have not come forward or who
are seeking redress under some other arrangement.
Unresolved fatal claims are in process and are still within
the objective period. The Workmen’s Compensation Unit
of the Judiciary has in the past been called upon to play a
central role in the discharge of all compensation claims.
Because of the centrality of the Unit’s role it proposes the
introduction of a joint programme of national awareness
together with the Ministry of Labour.
The Unit’s past challenges have signalled that there must
be the positive involvement of all stakeholders from the
beginning of the process. With this in mind, the Unit
intends to strengthen linkages with staff of foreign embassies, in particular, those whose citizens are employed in
hazardous or risk-sensitive jobs, insurance companies,
insurance brokers and all financial institutions that are
used in facilitating the settlement of workmen’s compensation claims.
next three years initially . The plan seeks to ensure that, as
the Judiciary carries out its constitutional mandate, its
customers are satisfied with the standard of outputs from
the Courts. Central to implementing the plan will be the
promotion of a Judiciary culture underpinned by core
values of excellence, commitment, accountability, integrity
and service. These will form the basis of the reshaped
identity of the institution.
The plan takes into consideration a number of strategic
issues currently affecting the Judiciary and its customers.
These include delays, outdated and inadequate facilities,
productivity issues, as well as information management
and communication challenges. It seeks to sequence the
solutions into a holistic framework emphasising the
customer first and recognising that the capacity of the
organisation to deliver on its mandate is deeply connected
to governance, culture, stakeholder relationships, public
understanding of the organisation, as well as infrastructure. The d iagram below summarises the Judiciary’s Strategic Focus for 2013-2016.
Judiciary Strategic Focus (2013-2016)
During the past year, the Judiciary also concentrated on
reviewing its strategic direction and developing an updated
plan in the form of a Strategic Focus document, which
speaks to the organisation’s vision for the administration of
civil and criminal justice in Trinidad and Tobago, and
which will guide the institution on the way forward for the
Staff of the Accounts and Investment Unit from left: Ms Sharda
Maharaj, Ms Sharmilla Sandassie, Mr Jameson Melville (Unit head)
and Mr Kristian Meade
37
Reshaping the
Judiciary Identity