BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Attorney General Dale Marshall has told a one-day symposium here that despite the increase in the size of the criminal bench, the number of serious matters to be tried remains a significant concern to the Barbados government.
Marshall, who is also the Minister of Legal Affairs, told his audience that included Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and former Chief Justice Sir David Simmons, that the statistics on matters awaiting trial received at the end of last January from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), “are instructive.”
He said there were 94 murder cases, seven on manslaughter charges, and 287 people on firearm offenses.
“Of the murder charges, the oldest relates to a homicide committed in 2007; of the manslaughter charges, the oldest relates to a homicide committed in 2012, (and) of the firearm offenses, the oldest relates to a possession offense in 2003,” Marshall said, acknowledging that the system had been plagued with delays.
“These delays have had the knock-on effect of persons having been charged with serious offenses, including homicides, being granted bail after spending an undue period on remand, only to come out, allegedly commit further serious crimes again including homicides, being remanded, and then getting bail again.
“These occurrences have deleterious effects on society,” Marshall told the symposium.
He said that in addition to increasing the criminal bench from five to eight judges, the government had provided the resources to expand the prosecutors in the Office of the DPP and also created an additional post of Deputy Registrar (Criminal Division).
Marshall welcomed the one-day symposium, saying a candid discussion on criminal justice reform was long overdue, expressing the view that all stakeholders must work together if the criminal justice system was to work efficiently in delivering justice.
He said their task during the crucial meeting was identifying challenges and determining how to address them.
“In addition to identifying the issues and solutions, I expect that a key deliverable will be the establishment of a Criminal Justice Sector Committee to monitor the implementation of the initiatives and decisions we make today and constantly receive feedback from all stakeholders.
“Part of their responsibility will be to bring the stakeholders to the table, as necessary, and discuss the issues, to settle what is needed to give effect to these decisions and what is needed to enable them to achieve our targets,” Marshall told the symposium that members of the judiciary and magistracy, the Barbados Bar Association and civil society attended.
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