Chief Justice Sir Patterson Cheltenham has described the delays and backlogs in the court system as a curse and an affront to justice.
Yesterday during the inaugural virtual launch of the legal year 2021/2022, he outlined a number of initiatives which he said would streamline the court process.
After pointing out the myriad possible problems associated with the bail system in an “inordinately slow system”, such as compromised witnesses and innocent people being incarcerated for years, Sir Patterson spoke about a new directive for the Superintendent of Prisons.
“These are intolerable burdens. In conjunction with the criminal division, the following initiatives are being implemented. With immediate effect . . . the Superintendent of Prisons will be required to provide . . . a full report on the status of on-remand prisoners every three months. This is designed to address the troubling and unsettling concerns that result from persons being incarcerated for long periods with no known likelihood of a trial date within a reasonable time as contemplated by our Constitution. . .” (CA)
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