THE END OF the painstakingly slow preliminary inquiry while speeding up some of the serious criminal cases could lead to a crippling of sections of the justice system.
At least two lawyers believe the abolition of the pre-trial process from February 1 will transfer the backlog from the lower court to a high court presided over by just two judges.
In July 2016 the Magistrates’ Court (Amendment) Bill 2016 was introduced in Parliament, where it was debated with Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite insisting the move would reduce unnecessary delays in concluding matters.
Queen’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim, a well known defence attorney, anticipated “severe delays in the Supreme Court”. He said more often than not the Magistrates’ Court acted as a buffer between being charged and actual trial. (TKS)
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