Judge wants law to deal with costs for contempt

High Court Justice Carlisle Greaves wants to see legislation passed to allow the courts to more easily impose costs for contempt, as part of a wider reform of the judicial system.

He made the call on Wednesday, as he experienced several stumbling blocks in starting matters set to be heard in his No. 3 Supreme Court, including tardiness on the part of defence counsel.

“We have to reform our judicial system. One of the laws that has to be put forward is the contempt law . . . to deal with that, like in America where you can summarily impose cost  . . . without the rigmarole of going through a big long contempt [process],” the judge said.

After briefly expressing his view on the matter, Justice Greaves went on to deal with the case of two robbery accused, one of whom took responsibility for the crime.

John Seymour Ricardo Griffith, of 3rd Avenue Dash Gap, Bank Hall, St Michael, admitted to robbing Steve Yearwood of a chain, a bracelet, a bangle and a cellular phone, with a total value of $7 200, on December 1, 2010, in St Lucy.

However, his co-accused, Kirk Laron Rudder, of Martindales Road, St Michael, said he was not guilty of the charge.

Griffith also admitted to separate charges. He pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Yearwood with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him or to do serious bodily harm to him, as well as using a firearm without a valid licence.

Attorney-at-law Justin Leacock, who is representing Griffith, requested that a pre-sentencing report be ordered on his client.

His sentencing has been set for May 20. Before that, on May 9, the custody and antecedent records for the convicted man who is presently on remand at Dodds should be submitted to the court.

Justice Greaves also instructed that sentencing submissions be made in writing to the court by May 18 for the prosecution and by May 19 for the defence.

Meanwhile, prosecutor Senior Crown Counsel Neville Watson said he would make a decision with regards to accused Rudder, who is represented by attorney-at-law Lalu Hanuman, on the next date.