Kangaloo: Bill is part of a package to speed up the judicial process
In cases where there is a child witness or an adult witness, who can be subjected to threats and who can be intimidated, the DPP can send the matter straight to the High Court, without a preliminary inquiry. This is one of the five circumstances in which the DPP can use his discretion, according to the Indictable Preliminary Inquiry Bill which was piloted yesterday in the Senate by Legal Affairs Minister Christine Kangaloo. Kangaloo said the other instan-ces where the DPP could send a case directly to the Assizes were: 1) Where there was a Coroner’s Inquest 2) Where there is a co-accused who has already been indicted. 3) Where the magistrate who started the preliminary inquiry, is unable to complete the trial due to death or other extenuating circumstances. 4) Where a person is charged with serious or complex fraud. Stating that justice delayed was justice denied, Kangaloo stated that the Bill was part of a package of measures to speed up the judicial process. She said the Bill would also allow electronic recording of cases at the Preliminary Inquiry. There was every imperative for this, she said, citing the Deyalsingh Com-mittee, the Mohammed Committee and recommendations from the Court of Appeal. It would also allow an accused person to be committed on the basis of a paper committal.
Comments
"Kangaloo: Bill is part of a package to speed up the judicial process"