SUPERINTENDENT of Prisons, Carl Graham yesterday told the High Court of the plight in which 167 males and 13 females at the Georgetown Prisons find themselves, as they await commencement of their murder trials at the October Criminal Session of the Demerara Assizes.

As Officer in Charge of the Georgetown Prison, Graham was presenting the Jail Delivery Report before Justice Franklyn Holder to mark closure of the June Criminal Session at the Demerara Assizes.
The October Criminal Session in Demerara opens at the Demerara Assizes today, Tuesday, October 2, 2012 with the traditional Ceremonial Parade.
Officer Graham told Justice Holder that 23 of those facing trial for murder have been committed since 2007, and have requested early trials.
He explained that the delay in bringing the defendants to justice was because the authorities were trying to hasten the trials of those who had been incarcerated awaiting their trials since 2005.
Justice Holder exhorted the Prosecutors, Miss Diana Kaulesar and Mrs. Judith Mursalin, to do all in their power to ensure that each of those concerned gets an early trial.
The situation obtains because of a shortage of judges; the Chief Justice could afford to provide only two judges to preside at the Criminal Session in Demerara.
And what is even worse is that the beginning of the October session in the Demerara Assizes will be limited to only one sitting Judge, since court officials confirm that Justice James Bovell-Drakes, a senior judge, is proceeding on leave from today.
The judges named for the October Session are Justices Mr James Bovell-Drakes and Miss Diana Insanally.
Justice Insanally will be confronted with the formidable task of sitting at the criminal Bench for the first time since her appointment as a judge, and would need all the support she can get.
It is time that legal organisations voice their disapproval of this untenable situation of shortage of judges by requesting authorities to do all in their power to solve this problem.
In fact, approached about the problem some years ago, the Acting Chief Justice had explained to this writer:  “I cannot make the judges out of clay.”
The facts disclosed by Supt. Graham in his Jail Delivery Report to the court showed that there are 167 males and 13 females in prison waiting to stand trial for murder. They are part of the 226 cases waiting to be tried in the October Sessions of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.
According to Officer Graham, the statistical breakdown is as follows: Murder – 180 cases; Attempted murder – 04 cases; Carnal knowledge – 23 cases; Incest – 02 cases; Robbery – 03 cases; Buggery – 01 case; Aiding and abetting a murder suspect – 1 case; Aiding and abetting to commit murder – 01 case; Discharging a firearm with intent – 05 cases; Abduction – 06 cases; making a grand total of 226 cases.
These are all cases waiting to be heard at the October Session of the Criminal Assizes in Demerara, beginning on October 2, 2012.