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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
(BIS Photo /Peter Ramsay)
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Nassau, The Bahamas - Introduction of The Rt. Honourable Perry G. Christie, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance by Senator, the Hon. Z. C. Allyson Maynard Gibson QC Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs at The Official Opening Ceremony of the Office of the Public Defender Bay & Virginia Street 19th January, 2017:
Almost 5 years ago the Prime Minister issued what was called the only comprehensive crime fighting plan ever made in The Bahamas – Project Safe Bahamas. It was a plan that focused at the same time on prevention, rehabilitation and detection and prosecution.
As we review the past 5 years evidence shows that there has been success - movement in the right direction - in each of these areas.
The Team at OAG, the RBPF and other stakeholders have been assiduously focused on Swift Justice, which is an important component of the “detection and prosecution”. Last week at the Opening of the Legal year I spoke about the successes of Swift Justice including the doubling of conviction rates, the disposal of more cases and addressing the backlog. These successes are occurring in the 10 criminal courts that can sit concurrently using state of the art technology. No matter what people may say in “silly season”, these are successes – empirically, by data, shown to be so.
I’d like to highlight that the statistics that we reveal to the public are not just numbers. They represent the capacity to make strategic decisions about the allocation of resources and they represent victims of crime and their families who can finally find peace. And, in today’s context, they include vindication for innocent people.
Today you will see how the use of technology is impacting the administration of justice. This office is equipped with the capacity for Public Defenders to speak from this office to clients at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services Courts, or any of the 4 sound proof videoconferencing booths now installed that those courts. There is no need to bring the accused down from Fox Hill. As well as our Bahamian Vendor, I thank the Department of Information Technology and especially the officer assigned here – Mr. George Bethell.
The Prime Minister stated: "I am proud to stand before you today to mark the opening of this important national institution – The Office of the Public Defender. With the creation of this office, my government’s commitment to executing a multifaceted strategy in the fight against crime and to providing equal access to justice takes a critical step forward." In the photos, members of the legal community, including Chief Justice the Hon. Sir Hartman Longley, look on. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)
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Our Prime Minister has been unrelenting and focused in his commitment to break the back of crime and fix the problems that were plaguing efficiency in the administration of justice. Very importantly he does not just speak about these problems – check the record – any resource that was necessary to promote these goals was given – whether or not it was budgeted. This fact alone – and there are many more – demonstrates his commitment to fight crime and promote the administration of justice.
The Prime Minister enthusiastically supported my request to engage our external experts – the Commonwealth Secretariat, Interamerican Development Bank and the U.S. State Courts. They agreed that the Four Escape Routes had to be concurrently closed – calendaring, inability to obtain transcripts, inability to empanel juries and inability to obtain representation.
Today marks the occasion mechanisms have been put in place to close each of the four escape routes. Importantly it represents the establishment of an Institution – an independent institution, the Office of the Public Defender, which is to be governed by an independent Board presently Chaired by Justice Joseph Strachan (Ret’d).
The Government led by our Prime Minister – the Rt. Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie (a man who believes in second chances) - is today establishing the institution by which there will be full time representation of accused persons who are shown to be unable to engage private lawyers. Today he and his Government are redoubling their commitment to “let justice roll down like a river”.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our visionary Prime Minister – the Rt. Honourable Perry Gladstone Christie.
© Copyright 2017 by thebahamasweekly.com
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