Bar association to present proposals for criminal justice reform

The legal fraternity in Barbados will on Wednesday be bringing a number of issues to the table during a Criminal Justice Reform Symposium at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford  Centre (LESC).

These matters are among those the attorneys have long agitated should be a part of an overhaul of the criminal justice system here.

President of the Barbados Bar Association (BBA) Kaye Williams said on Tuesday members will take the opportunity during the symposium to raise some critical issues that have stymied the system for years. “The efficient functioning of the legal system is critical to maintaining public confidence,” Williams said in a statement.

Former president of the Bar and one of the island’s leading criminal defence attorneys Andrew Pilgrim, King’s Counsel said the BBA will be presenting its proposals for reform during the symposium.

“For a long time we have been trying to ensure the rights of those charged with offences. We want to expose the issues and deal with them in a way that makes the public feel a level of confidence in the judicial system, especially when you are on the sharp end of it,” he declared.

Pilgrim said: “The Barbados Bar Association will be putting forward its proposals and will be calling on authorities to really take action following the symposium,” the senior lawyer said. (EJ)