Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

DPP Paula Llewellyn says court backlogs undermine public confidence in the justice system. - File

DIRECTOR OF Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn has stressed that stakeholders must work together to ensure that delays in the justice system be relegated to the realms of history.

Llewellyn, in an interview with The Gleaner last week, said the country runs the risk of people losing confidence in Parliament and the courts if delays continue to impact the judicial process.

"The fact of the matter is that a culture of delay has been allowed by all of us to become entrenched and, therefore, it is incumbent on all of us in the public interest, to see how we can address the situation in a real and sincere way," Llewellyn told The Gleaner.

Adjournments

Last week, defence counsel Jacqueline Samules-Brown told a Gleaner Editors' Forum that courts are more inclined to give prosecuting attorneys' adjournments in cases. Adjournments contribute to the huge backlog of cases.

At that same forum, attorney-at-law Walter Scott claimed that delays were in favour of defence counsel.

Meanwhile, Llewellyn has said that the blame game was getting the country nowhere.

"Justice being done is going to determine the public confidence in what are pillars of any democracy. The institution of Parliament as the supreme lawmaking body, and the courts, which are supreme in the adjudication. You cannot afford for public confidence to be undermined," Llewellyn reasoned.

The DPP added, "It is important to maintain the public interest in the Parliament and the court. If we don't do that, we are going to entrench this question of jungle justice and this must not be allowed to happen," the DPP said.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com