Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

Llewellyn

THE EASTER session of the Home Circuit Court opened Wednesday with the usual concerns being raised about the huge backlog of cases and the high crime rate.

"Crime and indiscipline permeates our land and the large number of cases are cause for concern," Supreme Court Judge Christine McDonald said after she opened the new session, which was marked with a colourful ceremony in Justice Square, downtown Kingston.

Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn made an impassioned plea for stakeholders in the justice system to do their part to ensure that cases are disposed of expeditiously.

There are 303 cases scheduled for trial this term, of which 185 are for murder and 85 are sexual offences.

The previous term, which began on January 7 and ended on March 14, had 287 cases of which 45 were disposed of and 256 traversed to this term.

"Justice delayed is justice denied and the accused, who are part of the public interest, desire to have their cases tried in a timely manner," Llewellyn said. She also added that witnesses and victims needed to have the cases settled in good time.

Culture of delay

Llewellyn said she had an open door in terms of reaching out to the different stakeholders to make sure justice was done in the public interest. She also spoke of the culture of delay that had crept in over the last year and called on stakeholders in the justice system to join hands to remove it.

Defence lawyer Maurice Frankson pledged support on behalf of the private bar to assist in disposing of cases.

McDonald confirmed the Bench and Bar Committee issued a notice recently for attorneys-at-law who had clients in custody for lengthy periods to indicate to the deputy registrar by April 4 if any of them were desirous of pleading guilty to the offences for which they were charged or to lesser offences.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com