Symposium to discuss criminal justice reform

Barbados’ criminal justice system will be examined next week, when the Office of Attorney General (OAG) hosts a one-day symposium.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Dale Marshall said the important discussion on Wednesday, April 5, will not be a “talk shop”, but a focused meeting to address the many inefficient aspects of the Criminal Justice System.

He made the comments recently when the President of the Barbados Bar Association (BBA), Kaye Williams, and her team paid him a courtesy call at his Wildey, St Michael office. Those present included Vice President Laura Harvey-Read; Immediate Past President Rosalind Smith Millar  and Deputy Permanent Secretary in the OAG Anthony Wiltshire.

The Attorney General explained that the focus of the meeting would be on a comprehensive draft paper which was prepared on Criminal Justice Reform and he invited the association to make a presentation at the symposium.

“We are going to push to have new criminal procedure rules, among other developments; we have to improve the system.”

AG Marshall congratulated Williams on her appointment, and said he was keen to continue engagement with the association.

Williams said the association would be prepared to make a presentation at the symposium on the critical issue of Criminal Justice Reform.

She pointed out that the BBA has started robust training for lawyers in areas such as employment, constitutional and family law. She noted that while there are many challenges, the association is committed to working with the OAG and building bridges. She also stated that the BBA continues to press for upgrades to the legal system and is fully in support of the modernisation of the courts.

During the courtesy call, the officials also discussed a number of other areas, including the creation of the post of Deputy Criminal Registrar and the recent appointment of three additional judges to help clear the backlog in criminal cases. (BGIS/BT)