MAGISTRATES serving in all districts of Guyana commenced on Friday a three-day seminar geared at strengthening the criminal justice system.The training, supported by the High Commission of Canada in partnership with the Justice Education Society (JES), is being held at the Officers’ Training Centre of the Guyana Police Force in Eve

Leary, Kingston, Georgetown.

It is being facilitated by Justice Melissa Gillespie of the Provincial Court of Canada and Ms Sandra Cunningham, a prosecutor with the British Columbia Crown Counsel.

The training is part of the Strengthening of the Criminal Justice System Project, aimed at addressing the lack of efficiency in the local criminal justice system by building local capacity to secure, manage, present, and evaluate evidence.

The project focuses on building the capacities of all parts of the criminal justice system to complete their assigned roles according to international standards.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on Friday, Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh, said it is the court’s duty to deal with proof and establishment of guilt for the condemnation of criminal activity

Chancellor Singh pointed out that, recently, in a newspaper editorial, someone wrote that it is the courts’ responsibility to support the police.

“The Judiciary has no role in supporting the police, for our role as adjudicator is to see that justice is done fairly, transparently, and in a timely manner.” Justice Singh remarked:

“We have no other responsibility. If the prison is overcrowded, that’s not our problem.”

He added that while criminality has changed, the responsibility of prison accommodation lies elsewhere rather than with the court casting decisions.

“I believe that those who bear this responsibility might just be exploring the possibility of creating additional accommodation in a way that addresses the awareness to levels of criminality…now in our society,” the Chancellor outlined.

The JES is a Canadian non-profit public legal education organisation with over 25 years of experience. Its mission is to build strong communities by promoting the understanding of, access to, and confidence in, justice systems both in Canada and further afield.

With extensive experience in designing and implementing international projects, the society’s work has included a range of diverse projects, including justice reform, citizen security, human rights and access to justice, gender-based violence and public legal education.