TOP COPS CALL FOR ROUND-THE-CLOCK COURTS TO REDUCE ‘MOUNTAIN’ OF CASES

—new approaches underway

EVIDENTLY FEELING the pressures of rising outcries against the spreading criminal epidemic and related frustrations with the functioning of their respective criminal justice systems, the Region’s top cops have now opted to collectively embrace the old maxim of “justice delayed is justice denied”.Therefore, under the umbrella body of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP), they have decided to engage the Region’s governments and judiciary on a range of concerns, not the least
Being, for creative new initiatives to reduce, as soon as possible, the distressing mountain of court cases awaiting judgments, many for as long as ten years.
That decision came last month at the ACCP’s 29th annual general meeting and conference in Trinidad and Tobago, one of the Region’s most plagued trios with murders  and general criminality, the others being Jamaica and Guyana.
As lawyers and magistrates in some jurisdictions have themselves been expressing misgivings over the continuing sloth of the justice administration system, the Police Commissioners were specific in declaring in favour of the creation of 24-hours courts in all of the jurisdictions they serve.
Co-incidentally, following the assassination late last month of the popular 58-year-old senior counsel of Trinidad and Tobago, Dana Seetahal, judges, other leading officials of the judiciary and lawyers involved in criminal cases in some Regional jurisdictions (including Barbados and T&T), went public in urging “priority attention” from national security forces for their physical protection.
For their part, while not unmindful of the concerns of practitioners in the criminal justice system over their physical safety, the Region’s Police Commissioners feel that the time is long overdue for a
systematic review of the backlog of cases-many for as long as ten years-awaiting judgments by the courts.
Consequently, in the spirit of the maxim, “justice delayed is justice denied” the top cops have decided to treat as a priority the pursuit of new initiatives, including the introduction and sustainability, for as long as practical, the functioning of 24-hour courts across the Region.
They feel that the lingering ‘chronic backlog’ in court cases reflects poorly on the Region’s justice administration system” and was unfair to victims of crime as well as witnesses and lawyers.
Realistically, given the financial and human resource factors involved to make a reality of 24-hour courts in any of the Region’s jurisdictions, the ACCP may have to temper their enthusiasm in favour of
phased introduction of extended daily sittings of courts, both at magistrates and supreme courts level.

JAMAICA’S INITIATIVES
They would be aware that for all its own troubles and trials, Jamaica, for one, has been a pace-setter in initiatives, recommended and implemented, as continuing efforts to address problems in its courts system as well in penal reform. As I recall, I think it was the first CARICOM state to introduce about eight years ago what is known as “night courts”, spread over some five hours.
With its layers of gun court, family court and night courts, Jamaica would, therefore, have much experience and expertise to share with the ACCP in relation to its proposed coming engagements with the
Region’s governments and judiciary to face up to the daunting challenges of criminality and skyrocketing backlog of cases awaiting judgements.
The Commissioners of Police, who had as their central theme for last month’s meeting in Port-of-Spain, “Working in Partnership to Combat Transnational Crime”, lamented the ever-increasing time it takes for cases for even rape and murder offences to be effectively addressed.
The problem, they warned, “is resulting in increasingly dangerous offenders being granted bail which is further fuelling violence as witnesses are targeted and assassinated…”
They also denounced what they regard as “the constant scourge of bribe payments” and the ongoing challenges to combat human trafficking.
They pointed out that this was a form of “modern day slavery”, involving children as young as five years and upward, from countries in Asia, with some victims being exploited into servitude and, others for the sex trade.

‘GROWING LAWLESSNESS”
The top cops stressed that the Region’s murder rates were “far too high”, recording at over 50 per 100,000 population and, additionally, that the Region was now burdened  with “endemic corruption”, according to a survey conducted by Transparency International.
Emphasising that the Region was currently “facing the real threat of growing lawlessness”, the Commissioners said they have “committed themselves to a new approach in resolving  the great backlog of cases, with a focus to
changing “the processes by putting victims and witnesses at the heart of the criminal justice system….” The Commissioners disclosed that at their meeting they also shared “best practices” among themselves and commended Jamaica for leadership in piloting “a real time intelligence template that identifies trends in one country with cybercrime or ATM fraud as examples to be immediately flagged to colleagues for action”.
Together, the Commissioners asked of their “key partners” in the battle against criminality to join them “in seeking a renewal of public confidence and faith in the rule of law” across the Caribbean…”
Owen Ellington, the Police Commissioner of Jamaica–went on record earlier in the year as declaring that an effective plea-bargaining law “is critical to the reductions of murder and violent crimes”. He also urged a combination of new legislative initiatives with “transformation of the police force…” The Commissioner’s perspectives on crime and official responses had coincided with a United Nations Human Development Report on
the Caribbean that pointed to how rising levels of violent crime were negatively impacting the Region’s social and economic progress. The UN’s Human Development Report had outlined specific approaches to address
“insecurity and violence” in the Region .
Perhaps the Association of Caribbean Police Commissioners should consider reviewing the recommendations of this UN report in their quest to engage the governments and judiciary in new initiatives to arrest the rising murder rates and effectively address the distressing backlog of cases awaiting judgements for as long ten years, among them rapes and murders.

(Analysis by RICKEY SINGH)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.