THE June 2025 Demerara Criminal Assizes began on June 3, with 114 cases listed to be heard. Justices Simone Morris-Ramlall, Zamilla Ally-Seepaul, Damone Younge, and Priscilla Chandra-Hanif will preside over the session.

Meanwhile, in Berbice, 63 cases are scheduled to commence on July 1 before Justice Peter Hugh, while the Essequibo Criminal Assizes will also begin on July 1 with 67 cases to be heard by Justice Gino Peraud.
Further, the April 2025 Criminal Assizes in Demerara concluded on Friday, May 30, with 41 of the 105 listed cases disposed of, according to a report from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The Assizes, which spanned two months, were presided over by Justices Jo-Ann Barlow, Simone Morris-Ramlall, Zamilla Ally-Seepaul, Damone Younge, and Nareshwar Harnanan. Of the 41 concluded matters, the DPP’s Office prosecuted 28, while 13 were discontinued via nolle prosequi.

Among the 28 prosecuted cases, 15 were for Murder, nine for Sexual Offences, and four for other violent crimes including Attempted Murder, Manslaughter and Felonious Wounding. Outcomes included 14 guilty pleas, two jury-guilty verdicts, six not-guilty verdicts, five formal acquittals, and three cases discontinued in open court. A total of 31 accused persons appeared before the courts during the Demerara Assizes.
In the Sexual Offences Court, nine cases were presented by State Counsel Simran Gajraj, Padma Dubraj, and Nerissa Peterkin. Three cases resulted in jury acquittals, three were discontinued owing to absent complainants,

two ended in formal not-guilty verdicts following complainant withdrawals and one accused pleaded guilty to raping a child under 16. Sentencing for that matter is scheduled for June 4.
Before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, six cases were heard, including charges of Manslaughter, Attempted Murder, and Murder in the Furtherance of Robbery. In one notable case, three co-accused charged jointly with Murder and Attempted Murder pleaded guilty to Manslaughter and Felonious Wounding. The main accused was sentenced to 18 years for Manslaughter and 10 years for Wounding, while the others received 15 and 12 years respectively. All sentences are to run concurrently.

Justice Nareshwar Harnanan presided over six matters prosecuted by State Counsel Abiola Lowe, Praneta Seeraj, and Mtumika Lumumba. These included five cases of Murder and one of Manslaughter. Four accused pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of Manslaughter and were sentenced to terms ranging from seven years to over 16 years. One accused was acquitted, and another found guilty of Manslaughter is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17.

Before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, four Murder cases were prosecuted by State Counsel Muntaz Ali, Marisa Edwards, and Darin Chan. Three of the accused pleaded guilty to Murder; two received life sentences with parole eligibility after serving 18 and 24 years respectively, while the third awaits sentencing on June 17. The fourth accused was found guilty by jury and is also due for sentencing on that date.

Justice Zamilla Ally-Seepaul presided over three cases prosecuted by State Counsel Rbina Christmas and Alvaro Ramotar. One Murder accused was sentenced to nearly 18 years following a guilty plea, while in another case involving two co-accused, one was acquitted by jury and the other’s charge was dismissed following a successful no-case submission. Another individual pleaded guilty to Wounding with Intent and is scheduled for sentencing on June 20.

Of the 13 matters withdrawn by the DPP, five were Sexual Offences cases discontinued due to complainants’ unwillingness to proceed. Seven were Attempted Murder cases, with discontinuation stemming from the death of one complainant and others choosing not to continue, often following compensation. One case of Abduction was withdrawn due to the unavailability of key witnesses.

In the Essequibo Assizes, Justice Navindra Singh presided over 13 cases presented by State Counsel Caressa Henry. These included nine for Murder and four for Sexual Offences. Six accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of Manslaughter and received sentences ranging from two to 20 years. In the Sexual Offences category, one accused was sentenced to 10 years, another is awaiting sentencing following a guilty verdict and two matters were discontinued—one due to a complainant’s withdrawal and the other requiring a retrial because of a hung jury.

In Berbice, Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry heard four cases presented by State Counsel Cicelia Corbin. These included one Manslaughter plea and three Sexual Offences cases, two of which ended in acquittals. The third was withdrawn after the complainant declined to testify. An additional six matters in Berbice were discontinued by the DPP.

During April and May 2025, the DPP’s Office appeared in eight appeal matters before the Court of Appeal involving offences such as Murder, Attempted Murder, and Larceny. In one appeal, a life sentence was reduced to 25 years. Two of five bail applications pending appeal were granted, while the other three were denied. One Murder appeal remains ongoing. In the Full Court, a single Assault matter was heard, in which the bail appeal was withdrawn.