Delays in prisoner transport disrupt courts – opposition senator

Opposition Senator Karina Goodridge has backed a judge’s call for an urgent fix of persistent delays in transporting prisoners to court, warning that repeated late arrivals are stalling hearings, inflating public costs, and eroding confidence in the justice system.

Goodridge, president of Friends of Democracy, said she fully supported concerns raised by Justice Pamela Beckles about the recurring late arrival of inmates for court proceedings.

On Tuesday, the judge criticised the continuous delays in court proceedings caused by the late arrival of prisoners from Dodds prison, after the start of the No. 5 Supreme Court and several other High Courts were delayed for over an hour. Justice Beckles noted that the problem had persisted “for a while” and urged the “powers that be” to address it.

She said: “For a while now, we have had to wait. It used to be ten minutes, then it went to half an hour, now it is over an hour for the prison van to get prisoners here on time and they have only just arrived. That is not acceptable and something has to be done.”

In a statement, Senator Goodridge argued that the problem extended far beyond an administrative inconvenience, describing it as a matter that was eroding public confidence in the country’s judicial system:

“When prisoners arrive late, court proceedings are delayed or even adjourned. Judges, prosecutors, defence attorneys, witnesses, police officers, jurors and members of the public are all left waiting, resulting in valuable court time being wasted.”

According to the opposition senator, these delays contribute to an already significant court backlog, postponing hearings and extending the time victims and accused persons must wait for justice.

Senator Goodridge also highlighted the financial implications of repeated adjournments, saying taxpayers ultimately bear the cost of rescheduled hearings, court staff, security personnel, prosecutors and legal aid services.

She argued that the money spent on such delays could instead be directed towards improving the justice system or funding other essential public services such as healthcare and education.

The lawmaker also pointed to the impact on citizens required to attend court, including witnesses, victims, defendants on bail and family members, who often incur transport costs and lose income by taking time away from work.

“When matters are delayed because prisoners have not arrived on time, these individuals are forced to bear those costs all over again by returning to court on another day,” she said. “This is unfair and places an unnecessary burden on citizens who are simply fulfilling their legal obligations.”

Suggesting the government should treat the matter as a priority, Senator Goodridge said the constitutional right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time could not be realised if prisoner transport was not functioning efficiently.

She called for greater coordination among the Barbados Prison Service, transport providers, and the courts to ensure that inmates arrive on time and that court schedules are maintained.

She also urged a comprehensive review of the prisoner transport system to identify the causes of the delays, implement measurable improvements and establish clear accountability when disruptions occur.

“We owe it to the people of Barbados to ensure that our justice system operates efficiently and fairly so that the public does not lose confidence in our system,” she said.

Describing Justice Beckles’ comments as a “call to action”, Goodridge said practical solutions were needed to eliminate avoidable delays, reduce unnecessary expenditure of taxpayers’ money, respect the time of judicial officers and citizens, and restore confidence in the administration of justice.

(JB)