ODPP to help courts reduce case backlog
THE OFFICE of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has indicated its intention to use recently amended pieces of legislation to expedite trials in order to help reduce case backlog at the Home Circuit Court.
This was expressed by Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jeremy Taylor yesterday as he made remarks at the opening of the Hilary term of the court in downtown Kingston.
Speaking to The Gleaner after the ceremony, Taylor explained about the three main pieces of legislation that will be used to expedite the trial process, among them the 2015 amendment of the Criminal Justice Administration Act, which deals with sentence discount if an individual pleads guilty.
“I make reference to the Criminal Justice Plea Negotiations Act, in which both the defence and prosecution can get together and plea-bargain out some offences. And I make mention of an amendment to the Evidence Act in which both the defence and prosecution agree about the statements of certain witnesses without them having to be called. The statement would just be read in the court, so that would reduce the number of witnesses that would have to come and give evidence,”Taylor said.
MURDER CASES
It was revealed that murder accounts for 556 of the 996 cases to be tried for the new term, but according to the senior deputy director, this is not an anomaly.
“Basically, over the terms, we see an increase in the number of murders. These are not necessarily new murders, these are some that are being brought forward from the last circuit, plus new ones that are being added. So the murders don’t come to the Supreme Court in real time. It is also a reflection of the amount of cases of that crime; murder is high in the country. That it is the single largest offence being committed,” said Taylor.
Meanwhile, there were 57 convictions, 42 acquittals and nine nolle prosequi at the end of the Michaelmas term in December. A total of 115 cases were disposed.