Only 9 cases heard at June Session
CASES appearing on the list for the criminal sessions are increasing.
But the shortage of judges has resulted in a limited number of cases being heard.
And, according to Acting Chief Justice, Mr. Ian Chang, S.C. , “ There is nothing that I can do about it.”

The situation is becoming worse at every session, leaving litigants wondering when their cases will be heard.

In the past years, when the sessions had a shorter list of cases, the authorities had put forward five judges to attend them. But today, when the number of cases to be heard has more than doubled, the number of judges available has dwindled from five to two.

And the prosecutors and defence lawyers are saying that they are receiving their lists late.

So much so, that Prosecutors before the Court complain to the judges that their lists only reach them on the afternoon before the opening of the sessions, and they are forced to ask for adjournments.

As a consequence cases before the assigned Judges, Justice James Bovell-Drakes and Justice Barrington Reynolds, would not be heard before next week, although the sessions opened on Tuesday.

Who is responsible for the late delivery of the lists?…No one seems to know.

For instance, the June Criminal Sessions came to a close this week with the Jail Delivery report on Monday to Justice James Bovell-Drakes who was told that there were some 105 prisoners at the Georgetown prisons awaiting trial at the October Criminal sessions.

Of 145 cases to be tackled at the June sessions in four months, between the two judges, Justice William Ramlal and Justice James Bovell-Drakes, who also have to do civil works, they could not reach further than completing nine cases between them for the entire Junes session.

The list before them for the June Sessions included 31` murders, 25 manslaughters, 15 causing death, 15 rape, and 23 for carnal knowledge.

As happened in the past, the October Criminal Sessions opened with the usual long list of cases and short list of judges. One hundred and fifty-three are cases to be tried by two judges; Justice James Bovell-Drakes and Justice Barrington Reynolds.

The list of 153 cases, includes 32 murders, 19 manslaughter, 17 rape and 22 for carnal knowledge.

Some of the defence lawyers complain that they too do not know which of their cases will be tried as they have not been notified. Senior Counsel, Mr. Bernard De Santos, who has cases at the sessions, noted, “I suspect that they hope to call the case with Dr Barry on Tuesday.”