“I’m here this morning because I believe that my presence and my voice is critical to this effort. For many years, you’ve heard me speak about the importance of us turning away from the legacy of an adversarial system that is really have come out of a Victorian approach to criminal justice.

We cannot continue into the 21st century with a 19th century approach to justice. We have also seen the evolution of how our populations have embraced other aspects of living that were hitherto treated with disdain. I refer specifically to the issue of mental wellness, who said over and over that, particularly with the COVID pandemic, we have seen a long, long shadow that would suggest a mental health epidemic across the world.”

Full remarks below (via video):

Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, SC, MP, Prime Minister of Barbados (January 16, 2023).