The February Criminal Assizes officially came to a close Tuesday, as prosecutors and High Court Justice Indra Hariprashad-Charles expressed their happiness at the number of cases cleared.
“I think I can safely say that we’ve had a pretty successful assizes,” Ms. Hariprashad-Charles said. “Fifteen cases have been completed. I don’t recall in my six years here when I sat on any assizes where I myself have completed so many cases.”
The court term began with a list of 34 criminal cases, acting Principal Crown Counsel Tiffany Scatliffe said. Of the 15 completed, four were filed in 2009, eight in 2010 and three in 2011, she said.
“I’m pleased to say we have eliminated 48 percent of the backlog,” Ms. Scatliffe said. “And it is our ambition and intention for the next assizes to eliminate any case of the remaining cases that were committed in 2008, ’09, and ’10, so that when we commence the October Michaelmas Assizes, we will only be dealing with matters that were committed in 2011.”
The next assizes is scheduled to begin May 2.
See the April 21, 2011 edition for full coverage.