Justice slows down at Sando courts

PROCEEDINGS at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Courts went at a snail’s pace yesterday, after Remand prisoners were kept at the nearby San Fernando Police Station instead of the prisoners’ holding cells at the basement of the courthouse.

The prisoners were transported to the courtrooms in batches of five. Up to 10.50 am, not more than two prisoners were in the holding cells of First and Second Courts at any time. For the earlier part of the morning, prisoners were brought before the First Court magistrate still handcuffed, which was not the norm. By 11.15 am, only ten prisoners had appeared in the First Court before acting Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington. In the second court, by 11 am, only eight prisoners had appeared. Both Magistrates Sonia Aleong and Wellington, who preside over the Second and First Courts respectively, left their courts at various intervals to return, since the matters of only two prisoners were dealt with.

Around 11.18 am, Head of Southern Division,  Snr Supt Division Desmond Lambert, visited the courthouse and met with acting Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington in the Magistrates’ chambers. Lambert later admitted to Newsday that the meeting was in relation to the alterations made in bringing prisoners to court. When further asked for a comment on the change,  Lambert replied, “it is a trial basis.” He promised to make further disclosures on the issue on Monday. Some officials at the court speculated that the move was done for security reasons since in recent times there have been fights among inmates, an attempted escape by a remand prisoner and even a mini-riot at the holding cells, with prisoners locking themselves in the cells. One official said the change was only  discussed on Thursday and this may have been because of the poor conditions in the cell blocks.