LAST year, 150 cases were disposed of and 122 received attention in the courts while 28 cases were deemed nolle prosequi by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

According to statistics from the Chamber of the DPP, of these 122 cases, 73 were presented from the Demerara Assizes, 24 from the Berbice Assizes and 25 from the Essequibo Assizes.

There were 64 cases for murder, two cases for the offence of manslaughter, 29 cases for rape of a child under 16, eight cases of attempt to commit murder, nine cases of rape, seven cases of sexual activity with a child family member, and one case each for the offences of carnal knowledge of girl under 15, setting fire to public building and abduction.
Statistics revealed that there were 48 guilty pleas, 23 not-guilty verdicts by jury, six hung juries, 25 convictions, 27 formal verdicts of not guilty and four aborted trials.
“From these 122 cases, there were 145 accused persons, 48 of these persons pleaded guilty, 25 of them were convicted; formal verdicts of not guilty were delivered in relation to 27 of these. There were 23 not-guilty verdicts by jury, six hung verdicts and four aborted trials,” the office of the DPP noted.

The January 2018 Criminal Assizes for Demerara commenced on January 9, 2018 and there are 229 cases listed to be heard during the session.
Justice Navindra Singh, Justice James Bovell-Drakes and Madam Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall have been rostered to sit during this assizes.

The February 2018 Berbice Criminal Assizes will commence in February, Tuesday 13, while the October 2017 criminal session continues before Madam Justice Jo-Ann Barlow.
The Essequibo Criminal Assizes is expected to open in February, Tuesday 6, while Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry will continue the October Assizes.

APPEALS
Last year, the Chambers of the DPP appeared in 66 matters in the Court of Appeal.
Of these 66, four appellants were allowed their appeals and had their convictions and sentences set aside.

Another four appellants withdrew their applications for bail pending their appeals, while four other appellants were refused their applications for bail.
Another five appellants were granted their applications for bail pending their appeals.
Further, another appellant had his charge for the offence of murder substituted with the lesser offence of manslaughter and a 16-year sentence was imposed.

One other appellant had his prison sentence of 25 years reduced to 24 years.
In the Demerara Full Court, 11 matters were heard during 2017. Of these 11 matters, three appellants were granted application to file grounds of appeal, two matters were dismissed, one appellant was granted his application to file Notice of Appeal, two other appellants withdrew their applications to appeal, while another two appellants had their applications to appeal against their sentences dismissed and one application for bail pending appeal was dismissed