Many young people across the Caribbean are entering adulthood without a basic understanding of their legal rights a knowledge gap regional officials warn could undermine efforts to tackle crime and violence.
The concern emerged during the first webinar in the Know the Law, Shape the Future: Legal Literacy for Crime Prevention in CARICOM series, hosted by the CARICOM Youth Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Crime and Violence.
Attorney Renie Atwell, Chair of the Legal Literacy Working Group, said responses from participants revealed that many had never received formal education about their legal rights or how to respond when interacting with the justice system.
Atwell said that gap is particularly important as the Caribbean confronts crime and violence, which CARICOM Heads of Government declared a public health issue in 2023. While stressing that there is “no single explanation for crime” and therefore no single solution, she described legal literacy as one component of a broader crime-prevention strategy.
But the goal, she stressed, is not to turn every young person into a lawyer. Instead, young people should know enough to ask critical questions, including: “What are my rights? What are my responsibilities? Could this decision have legal consequences? Where can I find reliable information? And where can I go for help?”
Attorney-at-law Adrian Odel reinforced that message, saying legal literacy starts with understanding basic rights and freedoms and knowing how the law applies in everyday situations including something as fundamental as knowing what to do if arrested.
Senior Public Defender Michelle Gonzalez of Trinidad and Tobago also challenged the perception that legal knowledge only becomes important when someone encounters the justice system. Legal literacy, she said, is about “understanding how the law interacts with our daily lives” and is relevant to all CARICOM citizens, not simply attorneys or people who find themselves in a police station or courtroom.
The webinar marks the beginning of a wider regional series examining cybersecurity, community safety and restorative justice as CARICOM seeks to strengthen youth engagement in crime prevention.
