NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Swift Justice System in The
Bahamas is making “significant” progress. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs
Senator the Hon. Allyson Maynard-Gibson made this announcement during a
briefing to update the media on the progress of the Swift Justice program at
the Office of the Attorney General, John F Kennedy Drive, Wednesday, February
25.
The Attorney General attributed the successful progress
ofthe Swift Justice System to the communication, cooperation and
collaboration of stakeholders including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the
public and the Office of the Attorney General.
Aided by statistics, the Attorney General said the time for
the presentation of Voluntary Bills of Indictment have decreased from 344 days
in October 2012 to 78 days at the end of December 2014. “This is a very, very
significant because on serious matters such as murder, armed robbery, rape this
is the initiation of the process and if you’re able to present the case, that
is the VBI in this period of time, it heightens the likelihood that we will
actually once a matter is set down for trial that it will get to trial in a
reasonable period of time.”
She pointed out that the Office of the Attorney General in
collaboration with the judiciary is shooting for the “reasonable period of
time” to be less than 2 years.
She addressed the public’s concern on the issue of whether
there is a revolving door on bail. In 2014 there were 425 bail applications for
murder matters. Of the 425 for murder, bail applications, only 33 of the 425
applications for bail (murder) were granted.
“Also, because we are aware of the public’s concern about
persons who are out on bail for murder, committing offences, notwithstanding
this statistic [and that is only 33] we have bought special focus to how we
prepare for bail applications. I want to point out that for January 2015 of the
22 bail applications for murder, none was granted,” she added.
In 2012, 118 matters were heard on an annualized basis
compared to 200 matters completed by the end of December 2014. “This is
almost double the number from 2012 to 2014,” she said. The Attorney General
explained that these statistics are important because it means that
efficiencies have been accomplished without the addition of personnel, rather
primarily the result of focusing on “systemic issues”.
Statistics indicate 54% guilty and 46% not guilty for all
trials during 2014. The Attorney General also attributed these successes to the
result of “greater preparation and focus on systemic issues, and close
collaboration with stakeholders particularly the prosecutors and the
police. She said, “Interestingly the figure for murder matters, guilty
and not guilty for 2014, is the same as the figure for all matters, and that is
guilty/not guilty, is 54% and 46% for 2014.”
The Attorney General thanked the stakeholders including
the team at the office of the Attorney General and the public for “competent”
and “effective” involvement and support in the administration of swift justice.
“We are counting heavily on citizens to be involved. It is the citizen that is
at the centre of the justice system,” she added.