Take a proactive approach TT

THE EDITOR: It must have been a frightful ordeal that the lawyers, police officers, judge and other people experienced in that San Fernando courtroom on Friday last, with the near-riot that erupted when prisoners awaiting trial revolted the continued adjournment of their cases before the court. After the recent (one week earlier) shootings and murder of four people in a courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, including a judge, I can appreciate the fear that must have resonated with the people who lived through that episode in San Fernando.

Again, the relevant authorities, (NSM, DPP, CoP, Court Police Officers, judges, Cabinet, etc) must look at and into not just this incident but into the underlying causes of such an incident and they must do whatever is necessary to alleviate its reoccurrence. Again, we are in reactive rather than proactive mode. It seems that we never do anything by planning but by haphazard occurrence. The death threats mouthed to Magistrate Wellington and other jurists must not be taken lightly and should be doggedly investigated, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law, if, but for no other reason, than to send a message to criminals in our society that these threats will not be tolerated.

If nothing is done, then the country’s judicial system will be further eroded and will lead us down the road toward anarchy. So the Government must do all in its power to ensure that justice is not just fair but that it has the appearance of fairness and equity as well. It may also be time for the country to implement “time-served” legislation, where people who cannot make bail or who are not allowed bail, can have their pre-trial incarceration time counted towards their sentence when they are finally tried and found to be guilty. It is not fair to have people just sit in jail awaiting a court date for months on end, while lawyers for the prosecution and the defense try to get their acts together to proceed.

I also believe that if a case is adjourned by the prosecution on more than three occasions, the presiding judge should be allowed to throw it out of court and set the accused free. This would force the State attorneys and police prosecutors to affect justice more swiftly, instead of having the accused languishing indefinitely, waiting for their cases to be called and actually heard and resolved, one way or another. It is past time for swift justice to be applied not only to the high and mighty in our society, but to the little man as well. More and more efficiently-run courtrooms will allow that to happen. Otherwise, Vision 2020 will remain but a pipedream, as it would have no effect on the average citizen.

KELVIN C JAMES, Sr
Port-of-Spain