PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar has registered his frustration and disappointment at the number of persons who continue to languish in prisons awaiting trials and the delivery of justice. He said that while they may be in a situation wherein persons are being held by the state to answer various criminal charges, it is very important that their rights be not forgotten.

His comments came on Thursday during his feature address at the opening ceremony of the Annual Officers Conference. It was the second such conference addressed by the president since assuming the presidency of Guyana.

The conference ended yesterday. It saw the issues of guns, drugs, gangs, accidents, corruption, shakedowns, robberies and murders being addressed by both President Donald Ramotar and Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell.

The Head of State told the gathering of senior officers and members of Parliament, of the private sector and of the diplomatic corps that there is a direct connection between the security forces and the judiciary. He pointed out that the two institutions need to complement the work of each other for effectiveness.   

President Ramotar stressed that too many persons are in jail for extended periods as they await trials. This, he said, is unacceptable, especially with the systems and initiatives which have been taken to address the very issues directly and indirectly.

Among the systems which have been advanced by the Government of Guyana is the appointment of additional judges. He also explained that there has been more capacity in this regard.

Also, part of the process was the move to reform and revamp the service, giving the right to appeal and retrial as moves continue to progress to move away from the system of preliminary inquiry to paper committals.

Works are also in progress for the establishment of specialized courts, and according to the President, these steps will help in moving forward to a point where justice is delivered in a timely manner.

The President also told police officers that, at the moment, Guyana has one of the most modern legislation as it relates to sexual offenses, while constitutional administrative laws have been passed on the courts to deal with constitutional issues which affect the citizens and state.

Officers were also told that the Guyana Police now, more than ever before, was properly equipped with the necessary tools to get the job done.
It was against that backdrop that President Ramotar made it clear that, with all that investment in the judiciary and the police force, the citizens being cognisant of the fact, will forever seek to have more effectiveness and result at the level of the courts.

He closed his remarks in relation to the court system by saying that the judiciary has never been more dynamic, and as such, there should be no languishing in courts for the long period litiants are made to stay.